


The Divine

by MadiMay



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Attempted Seducing, Branding, But it doesn't really count though because he's already head over heals, Character Death, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Feelings, Fluff and Angst, Fucked up Familys, Her family is basically as cult, I make no promises about happy endings, I'm Sorry, I'm bad at writing in humor, M/M, My mythology references are so heavy handed, My only excuse for any of this is my daddy issues, Mythology References, Past Torture, Revenge, Sacrifice, Self realization, Smut, Socially Awkward OC, Sort of spies, Soulmates, Superpowers, Torture, Weird mix on modern and archaic weaponry, but I'll try, lots and lots of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-25 22:23:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 71,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14388342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadiMay/pseuds/MadiMay
Summary: In a world where 3 in every 4 people are 'gifted' with superpowers, and everyone has a soulmate, few are special. Artemis is one of those few. Born into a family who is led by a 2,000 year old woman gifted with immortality and a near divine control of plants, Artemis spent her entire life being trained and honed into a solider, prepared to fight and die in this brewing war between factions of the Gifted.It's only when she is bonded to a soulmate of a rival faction she thinks to reconsider her families teachings. She quickly escapes, but as she wanders the world she'd been kept from looking at too closely until now, she realizes not all is as it seemed. Now her choice is not only between her soulmate and her family, but between what she feels to be right, and what she was taught was.In order to keep her grandmother and soulmate from annihilating the world with war, she must do things thought impossible, and be willing to sacrifice everything she thought she could not survive without. In order to protect the lives of millions, she may have to give up the lives of those closest to her, and answer questions she didn't imagine she'd ever need to ask herself.





	1. Chapter 1

Harsh winds blew, so strong they nearly sent Artemis toppling to the ground. She turned, caramel eyes searching, but there was nothing. Only ash and dust around her, as far as the eye could see in any direction.

She was alone. Her stomach knotted, and Artemis screamed, falling to her knees. Her fingers fisted in her dark curls, nails biting her scalp as she was made to realize a single horrible, maddening truth. She would never see her Only again.

 

Artemis jolted awake from her nightmare, chest heaving as she panted. Looking up at her inability to move her arms, she scowled, yanking her arms. She was bound. Her wrists tied securely together, hooked over some kind of meat hook. Her toes barely brushed the ground, and the aching of her arms made her certain she’d been there for some time.

Casting her mind back, Artemis came up almost completely blank. The last thing she remembered was her and her team staking out a warehouse to steal some tech for Gaia. She, Persephone, and Athena had planned their entrance, gotten inside, and then… Nothing. It all went blank.

Turning her attention to her body again, Artemis flexed, stretching as best she could to try and see if anything hurt more than it should. Nothing seemed to be broken. Her skin throbbed with bruising along her stomach and shoulders and legs, but nothing alarming. Her knuckles ached from punching something, and that was a bit odd, because she was a distanced fighter, but if someone was to take her, she supposed that it would have to happen in a close range fight. It was likely she had a concussion or something of the sort if she was having trouble recalling things, but her muscles were responding to her commands, and she was thinking clearly enough, and there wasn't the greasy feeling of blood or grit seeping along her scalp, and it didn't hurt too badly, so she was probably fine.

Looking around, Artemis noted the room was empty of anything but the hook and pull system keeping her up and a few chairs. Likely to limit her possibilities for escape. Among the few that knew of them, the Divine were known for their ability to escape from near any bind. Artemis was not the best of them in this aspect, but she was no slouch. This wasn't impossible to escape from, but she would need information before she made a move. Artemis lived by the hunt, the chase, and if there was one thing she knew from that, it was that there was very little more likely to blow up in your face than choosing to strike before the right moment.

A door opened and closed somewhere, and multiple sets of footsteps echoed closer.

Artemis closed her eyes, breathed in, breathed out, aloud herself a single precious second to pray her team had gotten out, that her brother and mother were safe with the Divine and not too worried, to be human. Then, eyes snapping open, she sealed that part of herself away. She was Artemis, as good as any god for all of her training. Any who opposed her would come to heel quickly.

 

When they entered, Artemis focused on taking in the details she would need. Every second was necessary. There were 7, one walked with a subtle limp, favoring their left leg. Another’s fingers were twisted in an odd way from a past break. None of the others had obvious weaknesses, but two were older, though muscled. The other three were imposing enough, but Artemis had fought more imposing figures. There was a clear leader, whom the others rallied behind and focused their movements around, like planets circling a star.

The leader smirked at her, cocking his head as he studied her.

Artemis did the exact same, cataloging everything she could mentally. He was about 6 foot 4, black hair, hazel eyes, appearing to be of irish decent. He was decently muscled, and rather attractive. No visible bonds, despite him wearing a tank top that exposed his arms, shoulders, and neck, the most common place for bonds. She knew his type, and if she played her cards right, she might be able to manipulate her freedom from him. But given that this was probably the man that had somehow captured her, it was unlikely.

So she did her best to give nothing away, raising a brow and saying a voice that sounded sugar-sweet and bored at once, “So, is this the part where you try to torture information out of me, or the part where you tell me if I play nice you’ll let me down?”

His smirk widened, and he sidled a few steps forward, “And why would I say or do either of those things, darling? I want nothing from you.”

Artemis gave him an unimpressed look, “Right. Forgive me if I find it difficult to believe that when you have me hanging from a meat hook.”

He leaned so close she could feel his breath on her face, only years of training made her breathing and heartbeat stay calm. Her stomach tightened regardless of what her mind said.

“I want something from your boss. You’re only a bargaining chip to that end. I don’t make a habit of loosing valuable commodities.”

Artemis gave a bark of laughter, “You’re a fool if you think Gaia would give you anything in exchange for me. She didn’t become one of the 5 most powerful people on the planet by growing attached to people, or by showing mercy.”

He cocked his head, watching her with new interest, “You're among her most trusted agents, aren’t you? Enough so she calls you her children, and you call her mother?”

Artemis smirked, he obviously only knew the basics of the Divine, and the propaganda they leaked to throw people off. But it would be no good to accidentally spill something of use, so she stayed silent.

The man rocked back on his heels, brows furrowing at her new-found silence in confusion. Likely trying to figure out why that statement had caused her to go quiet.

To keep him from thinking about it too hard, Artemis fisted her hands around the chain of the hook, hoisted herself up, and kicked out, hitting the leader square in the chest, and the closest goon as hard as she could in his solar plexus.

She slipped between her arms so her fists were in front of her, and swung from the chain, kicking off of two of the other goons faces and landing on the shoulders of the one with a bad hand, clapping her thighs tight, and slamming him into the ground. Scrambling up, Artemis glanced around. Two goons remained, and the leader and one of the others were rising.

The leader looked… Amused, like he was pleased she was fighting back.

Without a warning, she slammed her left foot into the side of a goons knees, something in his leg popped loudly, and he screamed, falling to the floor.

The leader squared his shoulders, lunging forward. Artemis dodged his first few attacks, dancing out of range and ducking under his blows. Once she had an accurate gage of his reaction time, she managed to get behind him, bringing her elbows down on his nape.

The instant her flesh made contact with his, her entire body lit up, every nerve ending and cell singing as she stumbled back.

The man stumbled to his knees, and stayed there. Artemis watched as intricate tattoos began winding up and down her arm, across her chest, leaving a startling feeling of white-hot pleasure across her skin. She felt the mark continue to spread across her stomach, back, and hips before it stopped.

She could see more of it on the leader than on her, so she studied his tensed back.

It unfurled from the spot she'd hit him, harsh black lines that looked like they were burning away the skin that covered them as they appeared.

The lines looped and crossed in intricate formations, coming to harsh point and sudden turns. It was two dragons. Their eyes the only spots of color, blue and red.

They wound around each other, and from them, lines sprouted, covering the rest of the body in Celtic knots and just as intricate, if less realistic looking dragons. Sprinkled into the design were runes and symbols Artemis would need days of study to catalogue, and possibly weeks to decode.

Everyone in the room was silent and still. Their leader had just bonded to a captive they'd been planning to trade for something. Artemis held her breath. To kill or hurt him would do the same to her and vise versa.

If she was to escape, she'd need to know how he and his planned to proceed.

He stood, turning, and something in his gaze had severely shifted from the amused air he’d held before. Before, he looked like she was a puzzle to be solved. Interesting, but once figured out, mostly useless.

Now, his gaze burned with emotions that sparked a bit of panic within Artemis. He looked lustful, and fiercely possessive. Artemis raised her chin, regarding him cooly.

His emotions already were niggling in the back of her mind, but she pushed them away, attempting, and probably failing to shut down her part of the bleed.

Part of her was annoyed more than anything else. All those years training to keep from giving away her emotions and thoughts, and now she was bonded to the enemy. He could probably figure out what she knew from tasting her emotions, just by guessing and narrowing down how close he was with how she felt.

Still, Artemis was a master of her emotions, so she allowed herself to only feel steely determination. Ignoring the anger, the lust, the sadness, the bitterness that her soulmate was someone she could never be with.

Her soulmates eyes narrowed, studying her.

After several moments he said, “I apologize in advance for what must be done.”

“What?”Artemis tensed, but at a signal, the goons surged, holding her still just long enough for her soulmate to knock her unconscious despite her struggles.


	2. Chapter 2

When Artemis woke again, she was much more comfortable. She was laying in a bed with thick, velvet blood red drapes with white detailing, and a fluffy bed-set of the same colors.

The curtains around the bed were drawn tight, only tiny streams of light cross crossed the blankets.

Sitting up, Artemis took a mental inventory. She was locked up tight still, most likely, but it seemed somewhere more comfortable. Possibly because her soulmate held hopes of winning her over, possibly to keep the residual pains of being tied up from interfering with his life.

Her wrists and arms still ached, her shoulders stiff and sore, but she'd suffered worse.

Artemis turned her attention to the bleed, finding it a background hum until she tuned in more fully.

Her soulmate was close, and while she couldn't be sure what he was thinking about, she could take a guess.

He was full of longing, frustration, and anger. There was a flash of surprise, something like smugness(pride maybe?) And then she was all too aware of the fact that he was drawing closer.

Slipping out of the drapes, Artemis looked around.

The room was luxurious. The walls stark white, with intricate tapestries hanging from them. A fire place was settled into a wall, solid marble. Atop the mantle were a few nik-naks, a dark statue of a stag, an elegant hourglass filled with silver sand, a ornate dagger in a stand.

The bed was four poster, large, and comfortable with a solid oak frame, carved with floral designs. A round table with two chairs, also oak, sat in a corner, sided by two windows that also were adorned with thick red drapes.

Walking over to the windows, Artemis swallowed, looking down. She had to be at least a dozen stories up, likely more. Even at her strongest, with all her abilities and skills, she would never survive a jump like that.

Going to one of the doors, Artemis opened it to find a bathroom just as luxurious as the bedroom, stocked with fancy, scented bath products, and fluffy white towels.

The other door led to a closet stocked with clothing of every imaginable variety, all in her size.

While the lack of a door out made her stomach drop, Artemis decided to focus on something else until she had more time to ponder thar.

Turning her attention towards the bond, she estimated she would have enough time for a quick shower before he arrived. Then she would dress, take the dagger he had overlooked allowing her, and threaten to plunge it through his heart should he refuse to release her.

To do so would kill her, but she'd been raised from birth to give anything for the Divine. She'd far rather be dead and kill the leader of a rival mob, than live and be a handicap to her family.

Artemis emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed. Her dark curls in their customary French braid, dressed in her signature black denim and leather, she felt ready to face whatever awaited her.

Of course, she should've known better. Anyone the universe would pair with her would have to be able take her off guard.

The man was sitting at the table, seemingly lost in thought. He was wearing a shirt this time, slate grey, covering almost all of his mark save for some peeking out from under his sleeve at his wrist. He was wearing black jeans, and leather biker boots.

His hair was a mess, like he’d been running his fingers through it. A nervous tick she shared when her lazer focus slipped.

A subtle glance to the fire place doused the ember of hope for escape that had been lit. The dagger and stand had been removed. She should've thought to keep it on her, but apparently being knocked unconscious, and then being knocked unconscious again less than 15 minutes after awakening from the first blow had left her hazy. Possibly caused brain damage of some kind. She couldn't think of another time she'd ever been so absent minded.

She turned her attention towards the man again. He was staring.

Artemis ignored his gaze, crossing to sit across from him.

She looked up once she was seated, looking at him in the way she looked at targets, in the way her sisters had told her was unsettling.

He seemed unphased. Of fucking course he was.

“What's your name?” he asked.

She raised a brow, settling back into her seat, forcing herself to pretend to be at ease, “Why would I tell you that?”

He huffed, looking to the high ceiling before he began speaking, like he was trying to pick what he was saying just right.

“I know that the circumstances of our initial communion were…. Less than ideal. But it's happened, regardless of how either of us feel about it. To hurt you in any way now is counter productive at best.”

Artemis’ lips pursed, and fury surged, so strong that the man's head drew back.

“Know one thing above all else. I will never be able to so much as tolerate anyone who keeps my freedom from me.”

His eyes, grey and green and brown at once, like the forest floor, flicked, studying her face, Artemis knew that her anger was flooding the bleed, but her face was as calm as ever, save for some tension she simply couldn't ease.

He nodded, as if he respected her for that, “I will release you once that is an option, if you can say you won't vanish.”

“I won't.”

The lie tasted like ash in her mouth. She felt no guilt over the lie. But a part of her ached. She resented the bleed for making her feel that. A part of her didn’t want to leave him. But he had taken her freedom, and she needed to know her family safe. She could never stay.

He leaned forward, and his smile was that of a sharks, “I can feel that you lie. You, also, should know one thing above all else.”

Artemis’ belly clenched when his fingertips grazed her shoulder, across her chest, down an arm. Tracing her mark. Her skin felt hot where they touched, like he was branding her. As much as she wanted to pull away, she wanted to lean into his touch. 

“As long as you run, I will pursue. You will never be free of me, even in the case of the impossibility that you escape. You are mine, and I am yours. That, is a fact.”

Artemis’s entire body tensed. She opened her mouth to snarl a reply, the word ‘never’ on her lips, but he was gone. Having vanished from his seat instantly without a trace. 

Artemis paced, considering her situation. She was in a room with no door leading out. She'd checked behind the bed, the tapestries. Inside the closet and bathroom. She's spent hours prodding and feeling for a hidden door or a false wall. If there was one, it was hidden better than any she'd ever heard of.

Her soulmate was gifted, like her and her family. He could teleport, possibly had more abilities she had yet to learn about. He could tell when she was lying, and had every intention to keep her here against her will until he’d broken her down enough that she didn't want to leave.

Eyeing the windows, Artemis walked over to one, opening it. Poking her head out, she peered around. She was high up, in a room that looked to be on the corner of a building surrounded by trees in every direction. She must have been facing West. The sun was setting over the trees, bathing everything in gold light.

Gazing at the forest, Artemis decided her goal would be to get into the trees. While her gifts were less inclined towards plants and nature than her great grandmother or other members of her family, she was sure if she could get to the trees, she could loose anyone.

Turning towards her room, Artemis surveyed it. An idea lit in her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Artemis paced her room 2 weeks later. She'd made no progress. The man visited every day, twice a day. He sat with her in silence most days. Other days he asked questions, which she never answered. On occasion, when she was feeling bored and snippy, they bantered, which he seemed to enjoy. He seemed unphased by her constant coldness, bringing her books of every variety, a laptop, no internet connection of course, dvds. He told her he had been working on a gift for her.

He brought her meals in the morning and at night. She had another visitor, a girl who looked 4 or 5 years younger than her, around 16, who seemed completely oblivious to Artemis’ chilly attitude and that if given the chance she would vanish.

The girl had said her name was Alex, and while seemingly disappointed by the lack of forthcoming information from her, never pressed.

Alex spent hours with Artemis some days, mere minutes other days. In spite of herself, Artemis found herself looking forward to the girls visits. She reminded her of her brother with her sunny attitude and sweet personality.

Alex had admitted she wasn't supposed to visit her, but seeing as she had the gift of astral projection, there was no real reason for her not to. Artemis couldn't attack her.

In Alex's words, “Besides, you're soulmates with my brother, why wouldn't I want to know you?”

The girl was in high school, and most of the time she spent with Artemis was spent complaining about school and her peers, or asking for help with her work.

Artemis helped her. If nothing else it was something to do.

Her abilities would crest in a few weeks. If she conserved until then, she might be able to use her abilities to escape. Artemis was so very glad her abilities weren’t as flashy as some of her family’s powers and that her name was unknown. The less these people knew of her powers, the less they could do to try and dampen and negate them.

That day had been very, very odd. Alex hadn’t visited her at all, and the leaders visits had been short, only appearing for 5 or so minutes to leave her with food and new books. Normally, they ate together and spoke, even if it was just mild banter.

Artemis gazed out the window at the moon. It was just  sliver in the sky, last night had been a full moon. Another 2 weeks or so, and Artemis would escape, one way or another

Slowly, she stopped pacing, coming to stand at the foot of her bed. Artemis stiffened, eyeing the bed. The bed. Not hers. This place was a prison, not a home. To think of any of this as hers, of any of this as anything less than imprisonment and isolation was dangerous.

Artemis had always had issues with seeing boundaries, but this one was one she needed to see and be very careful not to cross.

Sighing, Artemis readied for bed and slipped under the covers, slipping from reality into nightmares.

Artemis grinned as she bounded up the steps into her families castle.

Once inside, she called out in latin, the language her family insisted upon speaking in the main house, eyes scanning for her family, “Domi sum! Mater? Frater? Avia?”

{I’m home! Mother? Brother? Grandmother?}

Neither her mother nor brother answered, but her grandmother’s voice did, calling her to the throne room.

“ Dianæ, præstabat te rediit. Veni ad me.”

{Artemis, you’ve returned. Come to me.}

Artemis’s stomach dropped, but she hurried to the throne room to find her grandmother atop her throne. Artemis looked only years younger than her grandmother, though the woman was hundreds of years old.

Kneeling before her grandmother, Artemis bowed low before looking up, “Aviam, ego sum laetus video te salvum.”

{Grandmother, I’m glad to see you safe}

Her grandmother’s smile was far more cool than she was used to. Artemis had grown used to warmth from her grandmother which had only grown as the huntress had matured into a force of nature who did anything and everything for the head of her family. She’d quickly gained favor from her. Now, she regarded her as she often did Aphrodite or Hera, silly little things that were annoyances at best, and dangers at worst. They were family all the same, and so were kept around, but they were never invited to see Gaia without her guard present, never invited to war meetings, never involved in business.

“Tu conjunctum cum te defuit. Cui.”

{You’ve been bonded while you were missing. To whom.}

It was a demand, not a question.

Artemis lowered her head in shame, but didn’t dare lie to her, “Et dux de aemulus coetus. Nescio nomen ejus. Ego me fugit quam celerrime poterat.”

{The leader of a rival group. I don’t know his name. I escaped as quickly as I was able.)

Gaia tutted, “O Dianae mea neptis conjuncta hostem. Tam vastum.”

{Oh Artemis, my favorite granddaughter, bonded to the enemy. Such a waste.}

Artemis looked to her grandmother and vowed, “Aviam Testor ego ad te, mei erunt tibi semper fidelitatis. Tolle animam meam ego sum ut eruam te, et socios in vita tua, serve utilitates.”

{I swear to you grandmother, my allegiance will always be to you. I’d take my soulmates life to protect you and serve your interests.}

Her grandmother stood, circling behind Artemis, “Credo te Diana Ephesiorum. Tu semper fuerunt extra ordinem pia.”

{I believe you Artemis. You’ve always been extraordinarily loyal.}

Artemis relaxed a touch at that, before her grandmother added, “Sed vinculum tollit, qui elegit te. Melius vel peius, quem iam hostis religata.”

{But the bond takes that choice from you. For better or worse, you’re now bonded with the enemy.}

Artemis pleaded, “Hanc non avia, nolo vinculo sum officio meo honore numquam tibi!”

{I didn’t choose this, grandmother, I don’t want this bond, I’d never honor it before my duty to you!}

Her grandmother sighed, and put one of her hands on Artemis’ shoulders, “Qui credis credo, Diana Ephesiorum. Et propter hoc, non quia meruit heth clemens et honesta mori.”

{I believe you believe that, Artemis. And for that, you have earned a merciful and honorable death.}

Artemis turned her head, just in time to see a battle ax coming at her neck. An instant of pain, a feeling on betrayal, and then darkness

 

Orion bolted upright in his bed to a feeling of terror, betrayal, and sadness. It took him the scantest of moments to realize it his soulmate feeling that. Panic seized him, and he scrambled from his bed, teleporting to her in an instant, mind whirring with worries.

Did someone somehow get into her room? Had her family sent an assassin to keep her from talking? If only they knew how loyal she was. He burned to possess that loyalty in every way.

Still, when he arrived in her room, it was dark, the only light coming from inside the drawn curtains of her bed, a low silver light peaking through the drapes. She was also crying out and begging for forgiveness and mercy in a slurred, half asleep voice, switching between languages so fast he could barely keep up. French, latin, dutch, russian, spanish, swedish, mandarin. Every language he could place and then some. Tears slicked down her cheeks

His eyes widened as he peeled the curtin back a bit, and understanding dawn. Oh. Ohh. She was having a nightmare. A bad one.

She was framed in a silver glow, as if silhouetted by moonlight. It would have been spellbinding if not for her fear.

His heart seized, and without giving it more thought, he turned on the bedside lamp, perched on the edge of her bed, and gently shook her shoulders.

“Sweetheart, wake up, you’re having a nightmare, wake up.”

She jolted awake, eyes wide and afraid for a moment before she flinched back.

“What are you doing in here?! At night?! On my bed!”

Orion held his hands up, “You were having a nightmare and it woke me through the bond. I thought you were under attack so I came to help. Nothing sinister here.”

Her eyes darted, as if searching for something in him, before she sagged, tension draining from her body as she began swiping at the tears still falling.

Orion scootched a little closer reaching an arm to rub her back, “Hey, it’s okay to cry. Crying is just your brain saying ‘this shits too much, open the drain’ and emptying chemicals.”

The girl laughed at little.

“What were you dreaming about?”

She sighed, “My family. I dreamed about exactly what would happen if they found out we bonded. It wasn’t just a nightmare, it’s my future.”

Orion blinked, “What?”

The girl glanced at him, “I dreamed my grandmother beheaded me.”

Orion’s hand stilled for an instant.

The way she’d said it was sad, but resigned, like she knew for a fact her family would kill her when they found out, and it saddened her, but she accepted it. He wasn’t especially close with his family, but the idea of them ever hurting him intentionally in any way was laughable.

“They won’t hurt you if I can help it.”

She looked at him, “I was raised from birth to believe that anything less than absolute dedication to my grandmother was a betrayal so vicious it was the same as stabbing her myself. Allowing myself to live when I could be such a hindrance to all my grandmother built…. That is an unspeakable treachery.”

Orion considered what to say for a few minutes before he spoke, “You are a human being, gifted or not. You didn’t choose this bond, and I’m all too aware of how hard you’ve tried to reject it. If your relatives would punish you for that… Can you really call them family? Are you really the traitor?”

She glanced at him, taking in his face before scrubbing her hands up and down her face, “Even considering what you're saying is blasphemy. But since I’m a full blown traitor now anyways, what’s your name?”

Orion almost felt amused, “I’ll tell you my name if you tell me yours.”

She sighed, “Artemis. My name is Artemis.”

Orion felt a jolt inside him, eyes widening and darting to her face. She gave him a weak smile.

“Artemis,” He tried it out, “It fits you. My name is Orion.”

It didn’t escape him the symbolism of their names in mythology, Orion being the only romantic partner of the otherwise chaste and deadly goddess. He also didn’t miss the trust of her saying it. It was her admitting they were bonded in a way she couldn’t control.

Orion was filled with shame. He was imprisoning his soulmate, holding her captive here against his will, something so monstrous it was unheard of. But she would vanish in a heartbeat if she could, of that he was certain.

He wished so badly they’d met at random in the street or at a store, that they’d been able to bond fully, to know one another before they knew of one another’s involvements in their respective criminal organizations. But this was the way things were. This was the cards they’d been dealt.

So Orion offered her his hand, “Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Artemis gazed at his hand for a long moment before taking it, and they both vanished.


	4. Chapter 4

Artemis was out of breath when they appeared in a large room, the sensation of teleporting like having the wind knocked out of her, sudden and unpleasant.

Orion watched as she gasped and ripped her hand from his, putting it to her chest. There was a slight tinge of worry through the bond, but it faded quickly as she caught her breath and stood straighter, looking around.

“I didn’t really know what you enjoyed doing, so this is my best attempt.”

Artemis gazed in astonishment at the large room. One part of it was a gym with a state of the art sound system and an open arch that she could see a pool through. The other part was an art studio with wall to wall bookshelves covered in books.

Artemis glanced at him, eyes assessing. He needed to believe she would stay if she was to be released. Artemis wasn’t the most seductive of her family, and she wasn’t the best actor. She’d been off her guard fresh from her nightmare, and had told him things she hadn’t meant to. But what was done was done. Now, she needed to stop moping, and turn this situation to her advantage. Even her untimely confession could be advantageous.

So Artemis glanced towards the room with the pool, then back to Orion before sprinting towards the pool, leaping into the water in her sleep clothes of a tank top and shorts. She heard footsteps behind her before she went under, and when she surfaced, she swiped at her eyes to look at where he stood at the edge of the pool.

Artemis smirked, swimming closer the the edge, and crooking a finger at him. Orion shuffled forward, eyeing her for a moment before pulling his shirt over his head. Artemis didn’t hide her appreciation as she scanned her eyes up and down his torso. Heat pooled low in her gut and Artemis had to admit, even if she could never be with him, the universe had chosen her a damn fine man.

Before he had time to do anything else, Artemis reached up, grasped his arm, and dragged him in while laughing. He popped back up spluttering, and this time when Artemis laughs its real.

He mockingly glares at her, but the curl of his lips gives him away.

Artemis propelled herself backwards, making her eyes soft and alluring and curling her lips ever so slightly before splashing him and pushing off the side of the pool, dodging his retaliation. They began splashing each other, dodging and tackling for several moments before Artemis finally caught him, fingers clutching to his broad shoulders as she pushed off the wall.

He grabbed her waist, pulling her infront of him and backing her into a wall of the pool. Artemis’ mouth went dry as she looked up at him, mind blanking as she realized she wasn’t in complete control of this situation. Would likely never be with him. He was her soulmate, her equal, her match.

And yet, rather than panic, or rage, or wanting to take back control, all Artemis felt was the lust in her belly going from a simmer to a boil. When his eyes wandered up and down her body, she knew that he could feel through the bleed.

Without a conscious thought from her, her hands were moving, one carding through the back of his hair gently, reverently before fisting it tightly, and the other cupped his nape, unyielding as she pulled herself up and pulled him down into a kiss.

She felt his lust sweep through her, and his hands were seaking, grabbing her ass and hauling her up against him, holding her tight as she kissed him. She’d been told by previous lovers that she kissed like she fought, dirty and hard and hot, all up close and personal, like she was fighting with a certainty she’d win.

Her breaths are gasping and short, and suddenly his mouth is pulled from hers, kissing across her cheek, jaw, and when he nibbles on her earlobe, Artemis’ fingers are in his hair, fingernails combing along his scalp. His lips return to hers quickly, and she welcomes the kiss, uncaring how scattered her thoughts are and how easily it seems he’s turned her from cold and calculating to burning with desire.

He was just the same with his kiss as she was, lips unyielding, tongue plunging and exploring and exploiting every opportunity she gave him to the fullest extent. Artemis’ legs had wound tight around his waist at some point, and her hands were on his back, chest, shoulders, neck, his face, in his hair.

His hands were fairly still in comparison, on her ass, her waist and her thighs, movements slow and caressing.

Artemis was out of control completely, and she genuinely didn’t care. She fully believed she’d have given in to her lust and fucked him beside the pool if they hadn’t been interrupted.

Interrupted by Artemis’ cousin’s voice ringing in her mind.

Hecate’s voice was clear as a bell when she called, “Artemis, please say you’re alive. We have squads looking for you. Anything you tell us can help us find you.”

Artemis jerked back, eyes snapping open. Orion followed suit, hands yanking off her like he was afraid he’d hurt her as his eyes searched. Artemis grasped the edge of the pool and levered herself onto the concrete, hand going to her head as she mentally broadcasted.

“Hecate? Is that you?”

“Yes. What can you tell me?”

Artemis looked to Orion, “Take me back to my room, please.”

He opened his mouth, closed it, looking at her with confusion written across his face. So her cousin’s telepathy didn’t transfer through the bond then. Good.

He obliged her regardless, when she knew in the same circumstances she’d have demanded to know what was happening. Once alone, she redressed, and answered her cousin.

“I’m being held by the Conquerors, in what I believe to be their main leaders estate. I have a plan to escape, but the sooner the better.”

Her cousin responded, “It’s unlikely we can rescue you before the next new moon if you are where you believe yourself to be. What plan do you have?”

Artemis considered, then admitted, “I have two plans. I plan to save my power and try to use the full moon to escape. If that is unsuccessful, the leader has shown interest in me and I plan to use his lust to allow myself an opportunity to escape.”

She omitted the fact that they were bonded. She omitted the fact that the lust was returned just as strong by herself. She omitted the fact that they’d likely have never kissed if she hadn’t made the first move in the pool. She omitted the fact that her lips still tingled and that she felt hot and out of sorts after having cutting things off between them so quickly. She omitted the fact that a part of her, larger than she cared to admit, wished her cousin hadn’t contacted her and interrupted them.

Hecate took a long moment to escape, “Get back to us. Gaia is with you.”

Artemis’ stomach plunged at the saying and she crawled into her bed, pulling the covers to her chin. She felt empty in every imaginable way. She’d been to anxious to eat today, and she was starting to question the world view she’d been taught since birth, and it made her feel confused and angry. And she wasn’t even going to touch on the confusing, empty longing left by being cut off in the middle of all that with Orion.

Artemis buried her head in her pillow and decided to handle all of this tomorrow after she’d slept.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Artemis felt sick to her stomach. She was using her soulmate. She had no choice, he was imprisoning her, but she still felt physically ill. Artemis closed her eyes, seated on the edge of her bed. Her desire for him had been real, she wouldn’t deny that. But was it right to use that, to use him to gain her freedom?

She shouldn’t be questioning this. Her family was everything, if this is what it would take to return to them, how could she balk at it? No matter how ill it made her, no matter how disgusting she felt afterwards, she needed to return to her family.

Artemis shuddered, hands going to her face, and she held back tears. She wished she’d never been bonded. Everything was so confusing now. If she thought about staying and letting herself love him, her chest ached for her family, if she thought about leaving, returning home, her chest ached for him. Hurt awaited her no matter what.

She groaned, combing her fingers through her hair, when she was suddenly aware of Orion’s presence beside her. She didn’t look up.

“What happened last night?” He asked, his voice carefully neutral.

Artemis considered what to tell him for a moment before deciding on a story he would likely believe, one that was true, if not the reason she’d pulled back.

So, she pulled the hem of her tank top down to reveal, between two of the lines of her mark, right over her heart, a brand. Orion’s eyes blazed, and rage and protectiveness flooded the bond.

She gazed past him and told him, “In my family, we aren’t named until we display power. We remain nameless and are cast out if we are powerless. My power displayed itself fairly quickly, and I was named young. It’s a right of passage that at 18 we choose to leave, or stay, and if we stay, we are branded by my grandmother, and again if the brand begins to fade. It also links us to one of our cousins, who is my grandmother's most trusted.”

Orion’s eyes flicked to her, “Did she contact you?”

Artemis glanced away, nodding mutely. She couldn’t lie to him.

She could only imagine how all of this looked to him. Would he think badly of her family because of their traditions? Would he pity her? He shouldn’t, her brand was the mark of the trusted, one only 8 other members of her family were gifted with.

She was jolted by her thoughts by his hand on her chest, tentatively touching the old mark. She knew the skin had the same odd texture as all burn marks, somehow both smooth and rough. He wasn’t making a move to touch her in a way they’d most certainly been well on their way of getting to last night. Hell, the movement seemed subconscious. He was just staring at the mark in disbelief.

“They hurt you,” his voice was thick with a combination of anger, protectiveness, and disbelief.

Artemis gently pulled the hem of her shirt back up to cover the scar, and his hand pulled back.

Artemis says in a voice filled with much less conviction than she’d have liked, “It’s an honor, to wear this mark.”

He looked at her like she was crazy and repeated, “They _hurt you._ ”

Artemis looked at him, mouth opening to explain it all to him. “Its tradition’, “That is the way things are done in my family’, and a dozen more excuses are on her lips, but then they lock eyes and she can’t remember what she was going to say.

His eyes are dark and fierce, and he looked so angry that anyone would hurt her that for a second she forgot it was her family he was angry at. She understood for a split second why they were together, why the universe matched them.

She remembered her aunt Selene, the only one in her family with powers similar to hers, remembers her smiling and telling her soulmates aren’t always meant to be your perfect romantic match, but rather a reflection of you.

Sometimes, it’s more like the moon and the sea, someone with whom the push and pull of your relationship, no matter what kind it is, becomes so natural, so automatic, it no longer requires thought.

Artemis snapped herself from her thoughts, and took a deep breath.

“I know… I know it seems unnecessary and cruel to you. But that's how things are done in my family. It just is.”

Orion’s face softened, and he wasn’t looking at her with pity, but with worry. Artemis looked away, and Orion sighed.

Dropping the subject, he asked, “Would you like to go to the other room?”

Artemis eyed him for a moment, before her lips curled, and she nodded, “Sure.”

He took her hand, and this time, Artemis was more prepared for the sensation of teleporting, tensing in preparation and taking a measured breath when they appeared.

Artemis half wanted to dive into the pool again, replay last night. But she needed to start working out again. She couldn’t afford to be out of shape when her opportunity for escape came.

So, Artemis put on some music, and began stretching. Orion stayed for a moment, eying her appreciatively. Lust was overriding everything else in the bleed, and Artemis smirked internally. Apparently, Artemis wasn’t the only one who was unsure and nervous though, because Orion cleared his throat, stepping back.  
“I’ll be back in a few hours to bring you back you your room,” He vanished with that.

Artemis fought off a grin. He was nervous. And wasn’t that adorable. Not that she had room to judge, but still.

Hours later, Orion returned. Artemis had finished exercising, and had started on a book. She barely glanced up when he arrived before looking back to the book, curled up on a love-seat. Orion sat beside her, studying her unashamedly as she read.

Though she could feel his eyes on her, Artemis didn’t look up from the book.

He shifted, and Artemis looked to him when he asked, “Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

Artemis blinked, “I have dinner with you every night.”

Orion’s lips twitched, “I meant in a different setting. Like a date.”

Artemis’ eyes widened fractionally, before she nodded, “Oh. Then yes.”

Orion grinned, “Fantastic. What foods do you like?”

Artemis grinned, “I like most foods. My favorite is italian though.”

Orion grinned, and Artemis’ heart fluttered a little. She was genuinely looking forward to the meal. Artemis couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if moon flowers point towards the moon like other flowers do the sun since I couldn't find any information on it. But the moon is the biggest source of natural light when they're open, so I figured it wasn't too big a leap to assume that, so they're pointing at Artemis. For anyone who's bad with hints and my not to subtle brand of subtlety, Artemis' powers will be more and more obviously be pointed to until I just outright say it in a few chapters

Artemis stood in her closet, eyes darting over the clothing options before sighing and taking a step back. She had a date. With her soulmate. She’d never been on a date before, and Artemis was certain that had something to do with the jittery feeling in her stomach. Artemis shivered, before standing straighter.

She could do this, Artemis’ eyes narrowed. She would treat this as she would a mission. Which meant she needed to be methodical but not predictable. Artemis smiled, and her eyes landed on a black dress. Perfect

When Orion came for her, Artemis was certain she’d never looked better. She wasn’t too experienced with makeup and clothes and all that, but she had enough experience she felt sure she wasn’t going to make a fool of herself.

She’d stayed simple for the most part, sticking with a color she knew complimented her skin tone and she liked, black. A lacy, black dress that went to her mid-knees and had an off the shoulder neckline and simple black flats. Quite honestly, Artemis couldn’t say with any certainty that it wasn’t meant to be lingerie. The black silk shawl that was just barely sheer and her dark tights helped her feel more covered though.

Her makeup was only some powder, eyeliner, mascara, and crisp red lipstick.

Still, when Orion appeared in her room, and turned to her, his eyes widened. Lust hit her like a train through the bleed, followed by something else. Adoration? Love? Couldn’t be. Just her imagination.

He offered her a hand, swallowed and said, “You look stunning. I arranged for us to be alone in the garden for dinner.”   
Artemis’ eyes snapped to him. The garden. Outside. He probably had a wall around it, and believed he could catch her if she ran, but it was a measure of trust. A test to see if she’d wait or flee. Artemis felt her stomach sink when she realized she was tempted to just enjoy the evening. To stay.

Still, she flashed him a smile, eyes darting up and down his body. He was wearing a nice suit, and Artemis’ mind conjured images of her removing it.

Shaking herself internally, she took his hand, and said, “Thank you, you look very handsome. I’m glad we can be alone.”

He squeezed her hand, and they vanished, appearing beside a very nice outdoor table and chair set. Artemis’ eyes were drawn to the lush plants surrounding them, tree’s, flowers, dark green leaves. It was almost as lovely as her grandmother’s gardens.

Artemis’ eyes were drawn to a patch of moon flowers, already open. Artemis noted that they pointed at her rather than at the moon, and smirked a little before turning back to her date.

They sat, and Artemis cast about for something to say before asking, “This is your garden?”

Orion’s eyes lit up, and just like that, the ice was broken. They fell into an easy eb and flow of conversation, as natural as tides.

Even as they talked, Artemis had to remind herself not to expose too much, not to tell him this, or to avoid that. Still, some things she couldn’t help.

She couldn’t help recounting the time she and her brother had been camping a few miles out from the property line and told each other scary stories all night. Artemis had been brave and hard to scare even then, but her little brother, sweet, sunny, Apollo wasn’t. He’d gotten spooked halfway through the night and he’d woken her in a panic certain something was outside. So Artemis had been brave and convinced him to run with her home. They’d run all the way home and come back the next day to find a family of porcupines had taken up residence in their tent.

She’d recounted her moments of teenage rebellion, of which there were few, and listened as he recounted his own.

After an hour, he had excused himself to get their dinner, and it hadn’t occurred until after to Artemis that she could have run, that he might have expected her to at least try.

The food was delicious, homemade calzones with a very nice salad on the side. Throughout the meal, Artemis became less interested in the conversation, and more interested in Orion. She studied him, allowing herself to study and admire him, saving the memories.

She studied the way his head tilted back a little when he laughed. She studied the way he spoke with his hands, in big gestures, and waving movements. The way his eyes drank her in when she ran a hand through her long hair, eyes darkening with lust. The way his finger mimicked her movement when she absently twirled one corkscrew curl around a finger.

She studied the way his hair spilled across his forehead in tight curls. She studied the way he shifted forward when she murmured something in a conspiratorial tone.

The way his mark was visible on his wrists and neck, making something possessive curl in Artemis’ stomach. A deep feeling of ‘mine’, and the pleasure of knowing that unless he specifically tried to hide it, everyone would know he was taken. Artemis knew she had no right to that feeling, not with what she was planning, but she allowed herself to enjoy it nonetheless

Finally, she was snapped from her focus when he said said quietly, “If you keep looking at me like that, I might not be able to stop myself from kissing you.”

Artemis sat up straighter, eying him, before smirking and standing. His eyes followed her movements as she sauntered closer, one hand trailing along the table as she stepped forward.

As she walked around it, he swallowed, eyes darting to hers as she pushed his plates back and perched on the edge of the table. Her shaul dropped at her back, and she put her hands behind her to prop them up, playing with the cloth.

His hands clenched in his lap and his eyes burned.

Leaning forward, she put her lips to his earlobe.

“Is that a promise, Orion? Should you really let yourself be so distracted near a prisoner?”

She felt him shift, and pulled back, looking at him from under hooded eyes.

His jaw ticked, and he looked up at her like he was seeing the sun for the first time.

Artemis took a gamble, standing and straddling his lap, leaning back as she ran her fingers through his hair.

His breath all but stopped for a moment, and then he was kissing her. Hot, desperate kisses.

Artemis burned to kiss him back just as hot and heavy, but this time, she was in control, and she planned to stay that way for some amount of time.

So she kissed him slowly, controlled as she pressed her body against his, hands kneading at his shoulders and back. As she swept her hands across his body, his muscles leapt to her fingers under the cloth of his shirt.

As she flicked her tongue against the seam of his lips lightly, teasingly, she realised he’d lost his jacket somewhere.

His hands were on her hips, gentle in comparison to how he kissed her, softly running his hands up to her waist them down again. His mouth left hers, lips devouring her as he nipped and nibbled and sucked along the column of her neck.

Artemis’ stomach clenched, and she slid her hands down to his, pinning them to the arms of the chair. Capturing his mouth with hers, she gave into the heat as she tied his hands to the arm-rests with strips of her shawl, plunging her tongue into his mouth and rocking her hips into his.

Before he could protest, she had her hands in his hair and a third strip of torn shawl around his eyes, tying it tight.

Artemis pulled back, and redid his arms before ‘tsk’ing.

“I really wish I didn’t have to do this.”

Orion’s voice was hoarse, “What do you mean?”

Artemis sighed, “You are my soulmate. I won’t harm you or anyone you love. But I need to go home. I need to return to my mother and brother and family. And I theorized that if I blindfolded you, you couldn’t teleport.”

“That’s not true.”   
Artemis raised a brow though he couldn’t see it, “Then prove me wrong. Teleport.”

There was beat of silence and he didn’t, slumping back into his chair.

Artemis felt guilty and selfish even as she admired how he looked, tied up, head tilted back. His shirt was messed up and open down his chest, and his mark was bold against his skin. His lips were red from her kisses and her lipstick. In that moment he looked completely and utterly hers, and she loved it.

Orion’s voice wasn’t pleading, but was just a little brokenhearted when he spoke, “Artemis, please let me go. Please don’t do this.”

Artemis might have rolled her eyes at that if he hadn’t been her soulmate. But he was, and heartbreak and betrayal came through the bleed so strong she wanted to weep, “I warned you not to be so distracted, and that I wouldn’t be contained. I’m leaving for home now. But I’ll make you one vow on our bond, Orion. I will never do something like this again. If I say I want to be by your side should you forgive me for this, that will be what I mean. I have never, and will never fake love or affection or lust for you.”

“Then what do you call this?” Orion demanded, struggling against his bonds.

“Being in control of my desires. I hope to see you again and not be at odds Orion, I truly do.”

Artemis grabbed the rest of her shawl and vanished into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Orion sat in the chair his soulmate had tied him too. He had felt betrayed and heartbroken, but after some time to simmer down, he’d realized he’d tasted those emotions coming through the bond before. When he’d told her he wouldn’t release her.

He stewed in his thoughts as he waited for someone to come.

Artemis had been completely honest with him when he considered it. She had maintained she would escape, even as she softened towards him, and he believed what she had said, she hadn’t faked any of what they had.

Orion’s head fell back into his seat and he strained against the cloth around his wrists. Silk. He smirked. She’d been clever in her escape, and that made him proud. His soulmate was clever and conniving and smart, and it made him want her all the more. It also gave him a tinge of pride he’d managed to keep her this long. He had no doubt she was working on another plan before this opportunity to escape.

He’d been to thunder-struck with how gorgeous she’d looked to be very suspicious. The way she’d looked when her shawl had slipped off her shoulders, revealing the lines of her mark across her shoulder, the lower half of her throat, her chest, her back, her arms. Orion had been hard pressed not to pull her into his lap and kiss her until they were breathing for each other. As it turned out, she’d done that for him, even if as a distraction.

Still, she’d never escape from him forever. Orion wasn’t as blatantly powerful as many of the other Gifted, but his powers served him well. Teleportation, and the ability to know exactly where to go to find what he wanted most. Which at the moment, was his soulmate.

Guilt seeped in, and he sighed. He’d imprisoned his soulmate. That was something so horrific, it was nearly unheard of. He could hardly blame her for escaping when he’d trapped her. As much as he wanted to not need to take responsibility for this, he did.

So he sat back, and mentally counted the miles his soulmate crossed running from him as he waited for someone to find him. Damn she could move. It was doubtful she’d already found a car, so that meant she was covering mile after mile on foot without slowing. Pride surged again.

Suddenly, the miles started going up faster. She’d found a car. Orion grinned.

 

Artemis ran for miles through the forest before she stumbled on a little farm house with all the lights out and two cars parked out front. It was easy enough to steal the one that looked less used, seeing as they were both unlocked. Once inside the car, she hotwired it, and sped away into the darkness of their driveway.

After driving for several miles, she found a gas station with a several cars parked at the pumps and empty, although a few were still running. Going inside, she managed to swipe a map and a few snacks before climbing into a nondescript truck.

The driver had to be the man at the register chatting up the cute 20-something cashier. The girl was admittedly cute, and certainly Artemis’ type. If she hadn’t been bonded, she'd have hit on her. If she was another kind of person without such a visible bond, she'd certainly have hit on her. Artemis had slept with more than her fair share of cute girls in her time. Now, though she noticed the girl and it occurred to her she would have done that before, she just didn’t feel like it.

Artemis had to admit, she was surprised she had been bonded to a man. She’d always prefered girls throughout her life, bisexual though she may be. But thinking about Orion, about how easily they’d flowed together, she couldn’t deny the universe might have chosen right.

Artemis smirked as she heard the man screaming behind her as she peeled off in her new truck.

It takes only a few hours for Artemis to get some better clothing and switch cars 3 more times. By the time the clock on her dashboard claims the time to be 12:30 Artemis was dressed in a long sleeved turtleneck, a hooded black leather jacket, gloves, dark jeans, and hiking boots, all in black of course. Her mark was completely hidden.

She's also managed to get her hands on 300 dollars for the trip home upon finding a branch of her bank her family used.

At around 7, Artemis pulled into a roadside motel.

Artemis smiled at the man at the register pleasantly as he asked, “A king or two queens?”

The man looked bored out of his mind, “A king. Can I ask if there's any places to avoid around town?”

The man glanced at her, before leaning in a little, “The only place safe for a girl, especially if you're nongifted, is the Pizza joint down the street, and this place. I'd recommend getting out of town as soon as possible and sleeping with one eye open.”

Artemis’ brows drew together, “Why?”

The man glanced around nervously before leaning closer, “It's the Divine. They steam-rolled into this town, declared themselves the new government, and things have been getting worse ever since.”

“What do you mean? How?”

“Any nongifted have been forced into slavery. Any of the gifted who catch the eye of someone in the Divine’s local military are taken from their family and forced to marry them. They've been taking almost all of the profit this town is generating, and giving nothing back. If you're so much as suspected of not having given the Divine everything, you're tortured or executed. People have been trying to send out messages asking the government to help, but they're too afraid of the Divine to help.”

Artemis rocked back, gaping, “Are you serious?”

He nodded, “ I think they've been planning on cutting off the roads in and out. I'd suggest taking off soon as you can.”

Artemis nodded, handed the man her money, and fled to her room to consider this revelation.

It couldn’t really be the Divine, could it? Maybe it was just a group of thugs using the name of the Divine to get what they wanted from civies too uneducated to know better?

Still, Artemis needed to sleep. After she slept, she would go to the pizza parlor down the street, do a little sniffing around, and be on her way.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No gonna lie, the whole militia thing was a total fake out to get them in the same place that was neutral ground so they could talk.

Orion watched from out of sight as Artemis approached the main camp of the militia that had moved in, the dirt road before her illuminated only by the moon and stars. Orion had had only enough time since he arrived to gauge the state of the town and locate his soulmate.

While it was possible she was heading into the arms of her family, Orion was uncertain. This lacked the Divine’s usual finess. He could say many things about the Divine, but that they were sloppy was not one of them.

So he watched, following from a distance. 

Artemis walked into the camp and snapped, “Who is in charge here?”

A man stood from a bonfire, “That would be me, baby.”

Orion’s fist clenched, and he barely restrained himself from leaping from the bushes and decking the man in the face. No one could speak to her in such a blatantly disrespectful and lustful way. If she left these men alive, he would not.

Artemis was cool and collected when she said, “Call me that again, and I will castrate you. You claim to be of the Divine? I am Artemis of Gaia’s guard.”

The man was clearly an idiot because he laughed, “Yeah, sure.”

She squinted at him, “You’re not with the Divine. Which makes you incredibly stupid. I will have to take it upon myself to cleanse this town of you.”

Her wrists flicked out, and moonlight seemed to be sucked from the area around her, glowing silver swords materialising in her hands.

The men all visibly paled, and the man started backpedaling, “I’m sorry, ma’am! We never meant any harm! We figured the Divine would never notice!”

Artemis cut off his head to cut off his blathering, and her chin jutted, “Well they did.”

The men all went silent, glancing between each other. Orion felt no pity. If they were stupid to impersonate the Divine, then any death Artemis dealt to them would be a mercy compared to what the Divine would do with time and skill if they learned of this.

Orion shifted forward, wondering how they would react.

Artemis glanced in his direction, and Orion’s breath caught when Artemis and him locked eyes. She shifted, stance widening, before grinning cheekily, and winking at him.

Orion’s stomach tightened a little at that, before watching her redirect her attention towards the camp again. The men were frozen, and he noted none of them seemed to be armed. These men really were as stupid as they came. Impressively so.

Artemis’ tone was firm as she said, “You are going to release everyone in your custody this instant, and should any of you try to escape, you will not make it two steps.”

They lept into action, rushing towards a set of 4 campers and throwing the doors open. Artemis’ grip on her swords shifted, and they transformed like liquid light, becoming a bow and quiver of arrows which she slung across her back.

Prisoners fled out the doors of the campers, mostly women. Once they’d all fled down the road, Artemis loaded her bow, shooting out a volley of arrows in quick succession. Each of the men dropped, the attack coming so fast even the last of the men to die barely had the time for his eyes to widen and suck in a gasp. Artemis loaded another arrow, and stepped forward, scouting the camp and investigating inside the tents, the campers, the trailers, the cars, and around the camp, apparently looking for fresh tracks or any survivors.

Apparently the only ones were more women, all of whom fled down the road at her command. 

Satisfied, she turned back to Orion. 

She waved him over as she walked around, kicking at the corpse’s, and crouching to riffle through their pockets and take their pulse.

Orion joined her, and upon her request, together they heaved the men into the enormous fire pit, and tossed in more wood. Artemis walked off, and Orion watched as she found a hose and a few gallon jugs in the tents. She then went around the the trucks, siphoning gas from them. Clever.

Orion quickly walked over to help her, unwilling to allow her to inhale more of the fumes than necessary.

They returned to the fire, and Orion watched as she emptied one of the gallons onto the pit, and the flames that had begun to die under the bodies leapt, greedily following the fuel and engulfing the wood and corpse's.

Artemis glanced to him, before pulling up a set of camping chairs and sitting.

They sat in silence for several long moments, the only sounds the roaring and cracking of the fire.

Orion glanced over and found Artemis had her bow across her knees, plucking at the string nervously. Her face was as smooth and emotionless as ever.

Orion glanced at her, wondering how to begin this conversation. Sighing, he admitted internally, that he doubted either of them were good enough with words or social ques to attempt anything other than direct, soulmates or no.

“I’m not upset about what you did.”

Artemis shot him a quizzical look, and he amended, “Not very upset. I’d have preferred you hadn’t, and especially not in that way, but I understand why you did it, and I’m not angry.”

Artemis nodded, and he watched as her bow and quiver vanished. Seemingly without noticing, her hands went to her wrists, rubbing one, then the other.

He noted with a bit of anger that there were barely visible scars around them. Were they from previous captures? The Divine? That stoked his anger hotter. Had her ‘family’ left her with marks other than her brand?

“I’m not sorry I did it,” her voice broke him from his train of thought, “But I am sorry it needed doing.”

Orion tried very carefully to consider what he wanted to say before speaking, “I want to apologize for not letting you go. I can’t say I wasn’t myself,  but I realize now how selfish that was of me, and that I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”

Artemis nodded, “I forgive you so long as you can swear it won’t happen again.”

Orion nodded, “I swear.”

Another beat of silence, before Artemis shifted, and asked, “What do you want from this?”

Orion glanced at her and canted his head. Artemis took a deep breath.

“I’m sure you know the bond doesn’t have to be romantic. What slot do you believe we were meant to fulfill in each other's lives?”

Orion knew the reply, and decided on complete honesty, “I have everything else I could ever want, Artemis. I have loving parents, close family, friends, and a criminal empire I foresee going places I am still unable to imagine. The only thing I want is a romantic partner. I believe we are meant to be that. I have difficulty seeing us as only friends, our lust for each other has already proven itself, and I doubt we’re meant to be only physical lovers, seeing how we get along, as proven by the other night.”

Artemis nodded, considering. Orion wondered what she was thinking of. She was clever and talented and cunning. Would she think of some way for them to be together openly? Was she conning him even now? He didn’t think so. The bond was alight with emotions, but none of them felt like the white hot regret and self-loathing that had come through the bond a moment before she’d struck, or the queasy, guilty, nervousness in the hours before. He knew what it felt like if she lied, and before she was about to con or attack him. This was neither. It didn’t mean this wasn’t a trick or trap, but he didn’t believe it was. It felt like she was worried and confused.

He didn’t yet trust her, that was to be earned, but they had time.

She sighed, “What is the name of your empire?”

Orion frowned, having assumed she’d figured it out already.

“I’m the leader of the Formido. I’d assumed you knew.”

Artemis glanced over, eyes filled with plans, “I didn’t. I have no memory of my capture. I’d assumed I was taken by the Conquerors, because that was who we were stealing from before my memory cut off.”

Orion’s brows drew together, “You don’t remember?”

Artemis shook her head, “I’ve tried, but nothing has come to me.”

Orion nodded, “Okay. I’ll tell you what happened, but first, tell me what cunning plan your clever mind is concocting.”

Artemis nodded, and grasped a jug of gas to put more onto the fire as it began to lower. Once that was done, she turned to Orion, and they began plotting.


	9. Chapter 9

Artemis marched up the steps to the main house, and threw open the doors.

“Aviam: Ego rediit!”

{Grandmother, I’ve returned!}

Her grandmother’s voice called from the throne room, “Bonus, veni huc, puer.”

{Good, come here, child}

Artemis removed her coat and went to her grandmother, kneeling before her.

Her grandmother’s eyes took in her Granddaughters new mark, revealed by her t-shirt 

“Youve Marte tibi par. Indica quaeso mihi de illo omnibus.”

{You’ve met your match. Please tell me all about it.}

Artemis nodded, and asked before she began the story she and Orion had agreed upon, “Utinam loquor in anglicus, aviam?”

{May I speak in english, grandmother?}

She nodded, reverting to english as well, “Of course.”

“He was a fellow prisoner of the Conquerors. We bonded when he helped tend to my wounds. He is the leader of the Formido. He is awaiting me two states over. I didn’t want to risk him finding our home without consulting you. He wishes to combine our forces so to end the fighting and take out the other factions.”

Gaia’s head tilted, and golden hair fell over a shoulder. Her eyes were not cold, as in Artemis’ dream. They were as warm as she’d ever seen them. Gaia  her granddaughter a reassuring smile.

Still, her grandmother asked surprise filtering through her tone, “Your match is a he?”

Artemis shrugged, “I suppose so. It’s odd, but it feels right.”

Gaia nodded,

“You’ve already enchanted him, no doubt. You are not my most social adept child, but I would trust such an alliance to no one else. His plan has promise, and I admit I am tired of all of this fighting. Perhaps he will find a place in our halls. Come, let me see the rest of your mark.”

Artemis shoved down the urge to snarl like an animal and cover her mark. Marks were not necessarily something to cover and hide, but they were fairly private. To stare was rude, to study was a violation.

Still, Artemis obliged. As she stripped to her flesh, Artemis reasoned her grandmother was likely unaware how uncomfortable this made her. After all, Gaia’s own soulmate had died thousands of years earlier. The only reason she was alive was her gift of immortality.

Gaia stood from her throne of wood, gliding around Artemis, studying her mark.

Artemis felt a surge of pride when her grandmother’s mask dropped for a moment, revealing a split second of shock at how large her mark was.

It went across her torso, her chest, her back, her arms, her hips, and a few of the lines even dipped to her thighs. It was rare for a mark to cover more than a foot or two of flesh. 

When Gaia waved a hand, Artemis dressed again quickly, and her grandmother sighed.   
“If this is to go wrong, we cannot burn away your mark. It’s too big, it would certainly kill you, and you are deserving of a merciful death if nothing else.”

Artemis nodded,”I know it would. I will be careful in how I cultivate this alliance.”

Gaia waved, “Then send word to your Only to come. Introduce him to me once he arrives, and go see your mother and brother, they’ve been worried sick.”

Artemis bowed, “Yes grandmother. Do you know where they are?”

“In your home I believe.”

Artemis bowed and turned to find her mother and brother.

 

“Mama?! Apollo?!” Artemis called as she stepped through the door to her home. Sure, she had wonderful quarters of her own, and Orion’s rooms for her could easily have been a home if he’d allowed her to leave them, but here was where her heart truly lay.

The place she and her brother had been raised by their mother alone once their father had died in combat. The two hadn’t been soulmates, but they’d loved each other so fiercely her grandmother had allowed them to remain together. Together they’d birthed Artemis and Apollo, and built this home. This place. The place where she felt safe and content to curl up in a chair and listen to her mother singing as she baked.

A gasp sounded, and then Artemis watched as her mother appeared before her and wrapped her arms around her.

Artemis hugged her mother back, burying her face in her mother's shoulder and inhaling. Like this, wrapped in her mother's arms, she could almost pretend she was a little girl again. Her mother's long black robes were soft and warm, like being swaddled in a familiar blanket, and the scent of her mother’s perfume was sweet and comforting.

“Artemis!” her mother’s voice wavered, and Artemis noted with worry that she felt thinner in her arms.   
“Mama,” Artemis sighed, squeezing her before leaning back to look to her mother's face, “You look thin, have you been eating?”

The older woman smiled, face filled with relief and joy, “As much as I can. I was too worried. I was afraid something horrible had happened to you.”

Her eyes landed of Artemis’ mark, but she didn’t question her about it, instead she said, “Sit at the table, there’s cookies and muffins on the counter. Let me call your brother, he’ll be so glad you’re home.”

Artemis followed her mother, taking the seat she was offered, and watching with worried eyes as her mother leaned heavily on the counter as she picked up her cell phone and dialed Apollo.

Artemis only turned her attention from estimating how many cookies she could feed her mother without offending her pride when she sat beside her, grasping her daughters hand.

Artemis looked over, and her heart stopped at the tears in her mother's eyes. For a second she tried to figure out what she’d done wrong before her mother spoke.

“I am so proud of the woman you’ve become,” Leto choked out, “So strong and proud and brave. I’m sure your match is the luckiest woman on earth.”

Before Artemis could correct her, her mother says, “I only wish your father were here to see this. He’d be so proud of you. You know he was furious when Gaia insisted I give up my first name to find one that better suited you and your brothers powers. But you need to promise me you and your match won’t struggle against your grandmothers will.”   
Something in her mother's tone caught Artemis’ attention, making her internal alarms go off, and she shifted forwards in her seat.

“What do you mean?”

Her mother glanced around, before leaning in and whispering, “I can’t be certain, but I believe it was no accident or misfortune your father fell in battle.”

“Mother speak plainly, please.”

“You father was outraged I had to give up my name until you and Apollo displayed power. Said it stripped me of my identity and was insulting and that no one should have to do it, especially since I’d have no say in my new name. It wasn’t a month later he was killed. I believe your grandmother arranged to have him killed in that fight because he rocked the boat too much. He spoke the truths no one else dared to speak, and because of that, they had him killed.”

Artemis leaned back, eyes wide.

“You truly believe that?”

Her mother nodded. 

Artemis pursed her lips, before saying softly, “Thank you for the warning mother. I will try to abide by it.”

Her mother nodded, and they shared a few moments of silence, before the door swung open with a crash.

Artemis jumped from her seat, fingers reaching for moon-light blades that weren’t there in the light of day. Luckily enough, she didn’t need them. It was only her brother. The oaf glimpsed her down the hall and ran for her, scooping his older sister up in his arms.

Artemis hugs her brother back. She’s tempted to rib him over the state of his hair or other such things, but truly, Artemis is content to hug him. She and Apollo had always been close, a matching set her mother always said, and to be apart from him for almost a month wasn’t at all pleasant.

Still, when they part and he flicks his hair back from his eyes, she has to say something.

So Artemis huffs and crosses her arms, “I’m in the clutches of the enemy for nearly a month and when we reunite your first thought is your hair? Your vanity is showing, brother.”

He grins, “Of course, I wouldn’t be myself if it wasn’t.”

His eyes were softer when he said, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

She nodded following his gaze as it darts behind her. To their mother. Who was trying to stand, and swaying.

Artemis rushed to her side, taking her arm and helping her to the living room and its soft chairs.

“Mother, what's wrong?”

Leto waved her children off, “It’s nothing, just a bit of vertigo.”   
Apollo shook his head, “Mother, I know you want this to be perfect, but you have to think of your own health.”

Artemis nodded beside him, “Yeah, Mama, please, just tell us what’s wrong so we can help.”

Leto seemed to rally, sitting up straighter, “It’s nothing, loves, I promise. Just an off day for me.”

Artemis and Apollo exchange looks, but allow it, relaxing a little.

It is only then, seemingly, that Apollo notes his sisters mark.

“You’re bonded?” He asked, eyes widening.

Artemis nodded, “Yes. His name is Orion.”

“Him?” Leto’s brows rose, “I’m sorry for assuming darling, but you’ve never brought a man home before.”   
Artemis shrugged, “Doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed their company.”

Apollo gagged exaggeratedly, “Gross, I didn’t need that image.”

Artemis grinned, and, unable to leave well enough alone, her hand shot out, quick as a bullet, tugged on Apollo’s long blonde hair, which he always insisted he would get around to cutting eventually but never did, and was off, darting away in squealing laughter as her brother chased after her.

Around the house and out the door. Artemis ran and ran and ran, just to glad to be home. Hours later she returned to her home, and slept in her own bed for the first time in weeks. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this when I was in a dramatic mood. Don't hate me.

Artemis woke with a start in the night to the smell of smoke and screaming, the main house alight with flames in the distance from Artemis’ window.. There was screaming, panic, gunshots. Fire. Gaia. Battle.

Artemis was out of bed in an instant, running out the door and into the night. She had to defend her mistress.

In the darkness, Artemis gathered enough moonlight to summon her swords, and dove into the battle unaware of what she might find.

When Artemis reached the main house, her brother was beside her, swords much like her own in his hands. She knew they must look a sight, her wreathed in silver light of the moon and him in the golden light of the setting sun, wielding blades of silver and gold with twin looks of battlefury across their face.

Together they sprinted through the fields towards a group of oaks who’s limbs lashed like whips and jabbed like spears to defend Gaia. Around her, dozens of smaller battles waged, and Artemis glimpsed them as her brother and her ran.

Athena and Ares, usually always at odds defended against a group of women cloaked in mist who seemed to weave shadows into weapons. Persephone and Hermes ducking and darting and weaving around 5 men of size and strength who spilled fire from their fingers. Hades and Poseidon desperately doing all they could to fend off a woman who shot uprooted earth and rock to throw and created pits of momentary magma to throw the pair off balance.   
Khione against a man with water powers, the pair in a battle that allowed each to feed off each others abilities. Tyche and an older woman danced around each other with no weapons, only attempting to lay their bare hands on on another.

Smoke burned Artemis’ eyes and made her lungs scream, but she continued on.

Finally she reached her grandmother and the other family members not consumed by other battles, Gaia, Zues, Hecate, Demeter, and a few others. She’s just in time to watch as her soulmate engaged in battle with Hestia, Artemis’ peace loving aunt.

Hestia hadn’t fought a day in her life. She was content to tend her fires and cook meals for her family and provide council when it was asked.

Artemis felt as if she’d been punched when she watched the other half of her soul run sweet, smiling, Hestia through with his sword. She screamed as everything slowed down, running to her.    
Distantly, she heard Ares give an enraged roar and realized that Athena must have fallen with the death of her platonic soulmate. Artemis didn’t spare a glance to her own match as she craddled the woman who had dressed her wounds and healed her so many times over the years, blinked her warm, trusting brown eyes up at Artemis.

Artemis choked on grief as she hefted her close, “No, no auntie, you’ll be alright, I promise, we just need to get you to your table.”

Hestia gifted her with the same sweet smile she’d given when rubbing salve onto Artemis’ brand the first time she’d been marked and had sobbed on the pain. The same one she’d offered her when Artemis had come to her with wrists rubbed raw from trained to escape bonds day after day. The same smile she’d bestowed when Artemis had shown her the lashing of the whip and explained she’d messed up on a mission.

The smile that said all would be well, to not worry for someone loved her regardless.

Artemis watched those eyes grow sightless, and she finally looked to Orion, who didn’t look guilty, but solomon.

She glared, standing though her legs wanted to stay down.

She swung her sword, and Orion blocked with his own.   
“You monster! She never hurt anyone, wasn’t trained for battle!”

Artemis jabbed her blade and it was met with a flourish that sent it tumbling away.

“I allowed you my home! And you kill my kin and burn our lands!”

Artemis lost her other sword to another unfocused lunge.

Apollo was somewhere on this field. Her mother not much further away.

Artemis gazed away, eyes searching. She found him. Her brother. Her eyes met his moments before his skull was crushed in the hands of a man the size of a gorilla.

Artemis didn’t bother to stay upright. She fell to her knees, then to her side. No. No. Her soulmate had done this. Brought blood and destruction to her family and their home. What she had done had been bad, near unforgivable, but not crossing that line. She’d sworn to never spill the blood of those he loved.

And yet here he was, having killed her aunt, her brother.

Distantly, Artemis heard Gaia scream, and looked to find her with a sword through her belly, and her enemy swinging an axe. Chop. Thump. Headless, Gaia’s body slumped, and Artemis distantly heard screaming.

When the sound stopped as she inhaled, she realized it was coming from her.

Artemis’ eyes flitted to her home, and she stood, grasping her blades as she staggered home. She needed to protect her mother.

She made it home to find their home in flames, and a smouldering body on their porch. Burned beyond recognition, but the silver chain around its neck gave away who it was.

Artemis scooped her up, heedless of the burns, and dropped to her knees to sob.

“Mama, no please no.”

Artemis felt arms snake around her waist, and her blood set alight. Her soulmate was behind her.

Artemis looked to him, “Why would you do this? You’ve killed my mother, my brother, my aunts… For what?”

He stroked her cheek, “For you, pet. All for you.”

Artemis wiped around, and sunk her blade as she’d seen him do to Hestia.

Tears streamed down her face as she eased him to the ground, brushing ash from his face, and whispered, “Then this is for you.”   
Artemis looked into warm hazel eyes with hatred and betrayal written across her face, and when he reached to cup her cheek, she woke with a start.


	11. Chapter 11

Artemis bolted upright from her bed, eyes wildly darting before relaxing a little. She was in bed. It had been a dream. Orion wasn’t here, he hadn’t killed those she loved.

Artemis bit her fist to keep from crying at the memory of how Hestia had looked at her, not angry or sad or scared. Her eyes had been warm and trusting and filled with love for her favorite niece. Apollo’s eyes in the second when they’d locked gazes before his skull had crumbled, brain and blood and gore and bits of bone going everywhere was much the same. He hadn’t know it was her fault, his eyes filled with love and fear, but no hatred, no anger. Not like she’d deserved. Her mother's form smoking and burned, her necklace with her fathers ring on it sunken into melted flesh. Her dark robes smoking. Her grandmothers defiant expression before she’d been beheaded

Artemis stood, walking to the window to look out into the night. No fire, no smoke, no screaming, no gunshots. Quiet. Peaceful.

Artemis slumped back, turning to her room to find Orion at the foot of her bed, eyes worried. She jumped, flinching back.

He stepped back, but asked in a low tone, “Are you alright?”

Artemis swallowed and nodded, and asked, “How long have you been here for?”

Orion shrugged, “I felt terror in the bond and came to check on you. I was about to wake you, but you woke on your own.”

Artemis’ eyes darted around her room, and he eased back against the door in response. He was hidden. She hadn’t seen him because he was engulfed in shadow and had looked to be a hoodie hanging on the back of her door.

Artemis crawled into her bed, and Orion followed, climbing in beside her and wrapping his arms around her.

The dark and quiet of the house brought peace over them. Artemis found herself soothed by the rise and fall of his chest. Even her dream couldn’t ruin this tender moment with the other half of her soul.

Orion’s hands combed her hair gently, fiddling with it.

He asked once Artemis had relaxed into him, “What did you dream of?”

Artemis pursed her lips, closing her eyes as she said in a soft voice, “I dreamed there was an attack by you and your forces. That you set fire to the houses. That I watched you and yours kill my aunt, my brother, my grandmother, and my mother.”

Orion’s hands stilled, and he gathered her closer in his arms, hands sweeping up and down her arms, lips pressed to her temple. He made a low, soothing, shushing sound.   
“I’m sorry you saw that, Artemis. I swear to you, you and your family will never be in any danger from me and mine. I can’t pretend I will certainly love them as… I can’t pretend I will love them, or even like them, but I can promise not to hurt them.”

Artemis hummed, curling into him, and her shoulders shook. Orion realized with a start she was holding back tears. His fierce soulmate brought nearly to tears by her dream.

He kissed her temple again, one hand at her waist, the other on her nape. They lay together for several hours until Artemis fell back to sleep.

The next morning, in the early light of dawn, Artemis and Orion stood together at her window.

Artemis’ eyes went to Orion, and she said in a hushed tone, “I am beginning to see what you and so many others have said. My grandmother is not what I thought her. I won’t stand to see her killed, and I won’t leave until I discover more of her plans, but I don’t intend to linger here for long. My path is splitting from what I thought it was.”

Orion brushed her hair back, cupping her face, “I will stand beside you, so if she suspects your training had wiggled loose, I can protect your back. Say the word and we’re gone. Anywhere you want to go, anything you want to do, I am with you.”

Artemis nodded, eyes searching his face, “And I with you. I can’t promise safety, or longevity, but I promise you if we continue on this path we’ve begun on my heart and the earth. Together it shall be ours.”   
Orion smiled, dipping to press their lips together in a slow, soft kiss.

The previous night they’d talked for hours about where they stood and what they wanted in hushed voices, and again this morning. Artemis didn’t love him yet, and she would never pretend she did when she didn’t, but she could see giving her heart to him so easily.

He pulled back from the kiss, “Remember what I said, and don’t let on you’ve realized it.”

Artemis smiled, “My masks don’t slip so easily as theirs.”   
Orion kissed her again, and he vanished.

They would reunite around 2, when he drove from the hotel he’d been staying in. He would meet her family, and see all she’d told him about.

So Artemis dressed and bounded down the stairs to the kitchen, giving her brother a quick hug and kissing her mother's cheek.

Leto smiled, “He arrives today?”

Artemis nodded, “Around 2 he said.”

Apollo crossed his arms and blew a bit of hair from his face, “Good. I’ll have time to practice my intimidation tactics and figure out what cell to put him in.”   
Artemis raised a brow, “Little brother, surely you don’t think he’ll go with you so easily? If he doesn’t protest, I will.”

Apollo grinned, “I’m only doing my brotherly duty, Artie.”   
Artemis threw her muffin wrapper at him, “Don’t call me that, Apo.”

He grimace, “Fine. But I’m still getting Hermes and Persephone to help me scare the shit out of him.”

Artemis rolled her eyes, “Why do you think he’s soft?”

Apollo shrugged, “He’s yours. You’re tough, but you like soft things. I figure your soulmates someone for you to protect and to coddle you.”

Artemis sighed, looking upwards, “You know what, I don’t care anymore. He may have promised no blood will be spilled, but if you go looking for a fight, you can’t whine to me about any injuries.”

Apollo stuck out his tongue, “I won’t.”

Leto shook her head and chuckled as her childrens bickering washed over her like a familiar blanket. The house had been so quiet these past weeks. Apollo had always been out searching for his sister. There had been no laughter or debates or arguments. But now, her daughter was home, all was right.

She felt dizzy, knees buckling for a moment as the room span. Distantly, Leto heard Artemis asking her something in a worried tone.

Leto gasped for air even as she tried to say, “I’m fine, love, just tired.”

Then she fell, and her world went dark. The last thing she saw were her son and daughter racing to her aid.


	12. Chapter 12

Orion felt his entire body go cold as a spike of terror and fear washed through the bond, then something akin to helplessness. It was so much stronger than what he’d felt when she was dreaming. This was the feeling he imagined would happen only if she were soon to die.

He wanted to Teleport to her side so badly, but he was nearly to her home by car and his powers needed to be kept quiet so to give them the element of surprise. If this was something else, he’d ruin it all. He had to trust Artemis could handle herself until he arrived, no matter how it pained him.

So he hit the gas and wished the miles between them would go faster.

 

Artemis sat beside her mother's bedside feeling helpless. Hestia had said after examining her mother, that she believed it was a combination of malnutrition,exhaustion, low blood pressure, and stress. She was running a few tests to be sure she hadn’t eaten anything toxic to be certain, but Artemis trusted Hestia not to make assumptions about her mother's condition.

It was no small blessing that it was probably something easy enough to correct once she woke, and Artemis used that fact to comfort herself as she rubbed her mother's hand between her own and watched the IV slowly drip nutrients and water into her veins.

At some point, her mother awoke, eyes darting between her children. They’d said little but had insisted she eat. She was out of it, and seemed to be seeing and hearing things that weren’t there, but she was on some fairly large doses of medication that had to be messing with her mind.

Now, Artemis could hear some disturbance outside of the room, but her worry was too strong for it to really pierce the fog over her brain. But a part of her must have recognised it might be a threat, because she instinctively leaned into the bond.   
Oh. Ohh. Artemis took measure of her emotions, and stood, walking to the door and cracking it to listen.

Orion’s voice met her ears, “No! Let me through, I’m her soulmate I should be by her side!”

The voice of Persephone, Artemis’ cousin and closest friend snapped, “No! She came home bonded and without you, if she wanted you here she’d have told us!””

A low thump, and Artemis emerged from the room to find Orion being pinned to the floor by Persephone, the petite blonde snarling, “I can’t kill you, but I can do worse.”

Orion looked to Artemis, and said, “Artemis, please call off this rabid girl!”

Artemis might have laughed if not for her worry, “Persephone, let him up. I don’t have time for this.”   
When Persephone let Orion out of the hold, Artemis went back to her mother's side. She didn’t want to deal with this. She didn’t want to need to worry about her family and Orion and her mask. She needed to focus on her mother, on getting her well again.

Orion entered the room, coming to Artemis’ side and putting a big hand on her shoulder. Artemis leaned into his touch. Apollo glared half-heartedly from across the bed, but said nothing. Artemis and Apollo were both drained from worry and terror. They both adored their mother above all else. She’d raised them single handedly, done her best to shield them from the harshness of their family and the intense training Gaia insisted upon for as long as she could. Artemis knew she bore scars borne from protecting them.

To loose their mother was something neither thought they could bare.

Hours later, their mother woke again, much stronger and more coherent. She ate, spoke a little to her children, still very out of it, and possibly still having hallucinations, and then fell back to sleep.

She didn’t acknowledge Orion, so he didn’t speak, just watched. The relief on Artemis’ face and in the bond was so strong when her mother awoke it almost brought Orion to tears. It was strange to see her like this, so open and ernest. She still wore a mask, she still was a master of herself. But she was so much more easy to read without the assistance of the bond.

Her face had been soft and filled with love and worry for her mother when they’d talked, and once they were more sure she’d be alright, she and Apollo had fallen into half-hearted banter that seemed as if it was familiar to them both.

She’d teased her brother for his hair, and he’d teased that maybe she wasn’t as tough as they’d all believed.

When she’d feigned as if to hit him upside the head, he’d exaggerated flinching and whined, “You’re just upset I said it in front of your soulmate!”

Hestia, who had been quietly replacing the IV’s, had laughed quietly, “Apollo, don’t tease your sister so. We all know she’s the strongest of Gaia’s guard. If not through sheer power then through training.”

Artemis had flushed at the praise, but hadn’t hidden her smug smirk, and Apollo had pouted, but hadn’t protested the statement. Artemis had offered to console him, “You’re the one that everyone likes though. I’m too much of an asshole for that.”   
Apollo had grinned, and Orion had muttered to her under his breath, “Consolation prize.”   
Artemis had laughed, a light, free sound that had made Orion’s chest feel too small for the joy he’d felt. He silently promised to try and make her laugh like that as often as possible from then on.

At the end of the day, Apollo had insisted Artemis and Orion go back to the house, promising to call them back if anything happened. Artemis had been reluctant, but had agreed.

So Orion had let Artemis guide him back to her home. She’d relaxed once inside, and they’d sat in the living room.

Orion glanced around the home his soulmate had grown up in, smiling as he noted details of the home. The contrasting colors of black and blue, silver and gold, pictures of Apollo and Artemis crammed onto the mantle and walls, artwork he guessed to be their proudly displayed.

Daggers and swords and bows hung from the walls, each very clearly belonging to one of the siblings or the other. A bow carved from white wood with silver metal and a white string hung beside one of a dark gold grain and copper accents, each with a quiver bellow it.

Leto obviously adored her children, this entire house all but a shrine to them and their accomplishments. Orion’s heart softened as he spied a picture of Artemis, Apollo, and a man he didn’t recognise in the forest, doing what looked to be camping.

Artemis was beaming at the camera, proudly displaying a fish she must have caught, and Apollo was grinning an impish smile, clutching a handwoven wicker basket. The looked young, maybe 5 or 6, and he almost ‘d’aww’ed allowed. The man had to be their father, with black hair and blue eyes, he looked startlingly like both siblings and at once, neither. Artemis clearly got her warm brown eyes from Leto, and her dark hair from her father, and the reverse was true for Apollo, both had darker skin than their father, closer to Leto’s dark coloring.

Artemis sat down, and Orion sat beside her, offering her his hand. She took it with a smile, and they sat in companionable silence for a time.

“I’m sorry for the less than warm reception you received. I was so focused on my mother I honestly forgot you were even coming.”

Orion squeezed her hand, “No need to apologize. You had more important things on your mind, and you stopped your cousin from carrying through with her threats of hanging my by the intestines of my mother until I was on the brink of death and keeping me there, that’s what matters.”   
Artemis facepalmed, “Persephone is protective. I think she assumed that when I came home marked but with no soulmate that we had bonded and you rejected me.”

Orion tried to imagine that. Rejecting her. Nothing came to him. She was his soulmate. Lovely and powerful and strong and smart. Anyone who would reject her was a fool.

“I could never do that.”

Artemis hummed, “It never even occurred to me. Even when I hated you for imprisoning me, it never occured to me to reject you. Perhaps because of the mortality rate, but still, I’ve never hesitated to put myself in danger before. A 9 in 10 chance of death is lower than odds I’ve faced before.”

“I didn’t even know rejecting your soulmate was possible until after we kissed that first time,” Orion admitted, “I’d never heard of it, and by then I was too far gone to consider it.”   
Artemis shrugged, “I knew about it, but I learned of it when I was little, receiving my basic training of what I might need to do for Gaia. I half forgot about it until I was facing my grandmother again and it occured to me she might ask me to do so.”

Orion’s grip on her hand tightened, “Would you have?”

Artemis chewed on the inside of her cheek, before admitting in a low, ashamed whisper, “No. If she’d asked I’d have fled.”

Orion kissed her temple, but said nothing.

Both jumped when the door slammed open. There, standing in the door, eyes wild, was Persephone, who said quickly, “You have to come quickly, it’s your mother.”


	13. Chapter 13

Artemis and Orion jumped up, following Persephone, who to their curiosity, squired them away not to the infirmary, but to the desert. Nearly a mile out, Persephone stopped, and turned. She paced before looking to them both, the most serious Artemis had ever seen her.

“Persephone, why are we out here? What’s going on?”

She looked to them, and said, “You must swear to me that neither of you will tell a soul about this.”

She stepped closer and took Artemis’ hand, “Swear to me.”

Orion and Artemis both said, “I swear it.”

Artemis continued, “What is this about? You said it was about mother.”

Persephone nodded, and said in a hushed voice, “She was poisoned.”

Artemis staggered back, “What? No, you must be mistaken. No one could want to harm my mother.”

Persephone shook her head, “She was. With Belladonna.”   
Artemis went pale, hands going to her mouth, eyes watering.

Orion glanced between the two, “What does that mean? Why is that significant?”

Artemis muttered, “It’s my grandmothers poison of choice. She poisoned her.”   
Persephone said, “I know your mother is sweet and kind, but I need to know why she might have been poisoned by grandmother. This is too far, and others agree. Gaia has arranged for far too many of our kin to die.”   
Artemis bit back tears, “She warned me, when I returned, to not rock the boat, that she suspected Grandmother had father killed.”   
Persephone sighed, “Grandmother must have found out somehow then. You’ve always been the most loyal of us all, the only things she could have ever asked that you’d have denied was for her to ask you to kill Apollo or your mother. That warning, combined with you coming home bonded must have made her fear you would turn.”   
Glancing at her cousin, the blond said, “If your mother is to die, be very careful. I would recommend running and hiding until I send word it’s safe. I trust you can make your own decisions, but I worry. I sense many family deaths in the near feature, I fear grandmother has started a civil war with this death. Now let's get to the infirmary.”

Artemis nodded, following her cousin with a lead weight in her stomach.

 

Apollo only had to glance at his sister to see that she knew. Her masks were firm and intricate and easily fooled everyone else, even their mother, but she could never fool him, her twin. So he caught her gaze, and the slightest shift of her mouth into a grim smile assured him she knew his thoughts too.

We will avenge her. I love grandmother, but this was wrong. I will stand with you regardless of what happens.

He didn’t yet know her soulmate well enough to read him, but the way he stood behind Artemis screamed of protectiveness. His sister didn’t need the protection, but he couldn’t deny he was glad she would have someone to watch her back when he couldn’t.

The three watched as Hestia eased their mother from the edge of death, and sat with her the rest of the night.

Days past, and Artemis, Orion, and Apollo never left Leto’s side save for Artemis introducing her soulmate to Gaia, both putting on masks of joy and new love so she wouldn’t suspect they suspected. The only ones who knew what Leto had been poisoned with were Apollo, Artemis, Orion, Hestia, and Persephone. Apollo could tell others suspected, but everyone feared Gaia too much to speak without a plan. Gaia had considered before draining all life from the rest of the earth into their lands, and killing any who trespassed, leaving the rest of the world to starve. No one was certain she could or couldn’t do that, and no one was willing to risk it.

She seemed to grow stronger as days passed. Then Gaia came around. Apollo wanted to shield his mother from her, wanted to draw his bow string back and fire her so full of arrows she would be too weak to stop him from beheading her, as was theorized to be the only way to kill her. But he did nothing, Artemis was the tactiction between them both. Artemis was the one who was clever enough to extract them and their mother safely from this place.

So he sat back, and watched. Artemis’ brows were tight, but it could easily be passed off as worry. Gaia wouldn’t suspect his sister. Not when she flashed her a smile and hugged her tight, sighing.

“Grandmother. I’m sorry I’ve been unable to come read and plan with you. I haven’t wanted to leave mothers side. Has everything been running smoothly in my absence?”

Gaia smiled, and a bit of tension eased from her shoulders, and she patted Artemis’ cheeks, “Not as smoothly as they would be if you were there, but I understand you need to be here.”

Apollo smiled at his grandmother when she looked to him, nodding his head, but looked to his mother again. He could barely keep the act up, but it was best if she believed their tension and any rudenesses were due to their mother.

He couldn’t stand to look at her any longer though.

Orion stepped in, and for the first time, Apollo began to understand why his sister was with him. Sure, he clearly adored her, and he stayed by her side and seemed loyal and strong enough, but those were traits that were none too rare.

Orion said to his grandmother, “Your home is lovely, Ma’am. Once Leto is up and about, Artemis has said she’d ask if you’d allow us to see your garden. I’ve heard it’s a beauty unmatched.”   
The way he said it lacked the ring of falsity or flattery. It genuinely sounded like he’d beg to see his grandmother's flowers, and that was all together much more clever and bound to smooth any friction or suspicions much more easily.

Gaia made a delighted sound, “Do you know about plants?”   
Orion smiled like he was sheepish, “Probably not as much as you do, but I’ve a garden at home I tend to.”   
Apollo felt hope blossom in his chest as Orion engaged the traitor to her kin in a conversation about plants. Artemis went to his side and took their mothers other hand, and Apollo glanced to her face. She looked at him, and he felt himself grow nervous.

She looked like she was nervous, but determined. Like she knew what she was about to do was stupid and reckless but she had no choice.

And Apollo knew she was telling him in that moment, that they were to be leaving before dusk.


	14. Chapter 14

Orion stood in the middle of Artemis’ room, eyes taking it in in the light of day. It was decorated in dark, muted colors of black, grey, blue, and silver. Her bed sat against one wall, her white comforter stark against the black metal frame and headboard. Matching black metal side tables housed lamps and piles of books.

The opposite wall housed a huge window with a cushioned bench against it and bookshelves filled with thick volumes on their side.

On one side of the room, two doors led to a closet and a bathroom with a dresser between them, and on the other side, a desk sat with a black stool, painted with white and silver floral designs.

The walls were bare of any art, tapestries, or hangings, instead covered in murals. One wall held floral designs that seemed silver and ghostly, almost glowing as they wound across the wall like ivy slowly reclaiming a city. Another in the same silver paint that gave off a faint cast of light, depicted a lone wolf atop a hill rise, staring at the moon forlornly, the moon and stars so real Orion shivered.

Another was covered in a detailed portrait of a ghostly woman standing over a crib with a baby inside, staring at the child as her hair and clothes floated around her. One hand was outstretched towards the infant, the other at her side. The curtains beside the woman spilled moonlight across the picture, casting it all in a pale, eerie light.

The fourth wall was covered in symbols and runes at random, each casting off the same low light as the others, seeming imbued with power he couldn’t comprehend.

Orion’s neck prickled, and he glanced over to find Artemis in the doorway, head cocked as she watched him.

She walked over, “Do you like them?”

He nodded, “Very much so. What did you paint them with?”

“Moonlight.”

He cast her a questioning look, and she explained, “I’m near powerless in the day, as Apollo is at night. But we can transform light into physical things, so me and Apollo turned our lights into paint and use these as an emergency store. So if anything happens here, we aren’t without our weapons no matter what.”

Orion nodded, eyes tracing the art with new appreciation.

He leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers, “When we get you all to my compound, I want you and Apollo to paint every inch of the walls and ceilings with light. I never want you without means to protect yourselves.”

Artemis’ eyes softened, and she drew him into a kiss. Orion’s hands rested of her hips as her arms wound around his neck. When her body pressed tight to his, Orion felt as if his skin was burning. Her fingers found his hair, combing, twisting, tugging, and he groaned a little.

Of course, before things could go too far, Apollo appeared in the door, interrupting.

“Grandmother is requesting our presence. A new gifted has requested to join the Divine.”

Artemis groaned, pulling back a little before saying, “Fine. You and I will go. Orion, stay with mother. At the first sign of trouble get her to your compound then come find us.”

Orion nodded, and Artemis leaned up to kiss him again. Then, she and her brother left.

 

Artemis stood among her family as a young man slowly walked down the aisle towards Gaia.

He stopped before their leader and offered her a smile, a dark mass of curls bouncing on his head.

The man swept into a bow, “Lady Gaia, I’m honored to meet you.”

Gaia nodded, “Likewise, Gregory. Please, show us your gift.”

The man nodded, “I need two people, who are intimately connected.”

Gaia’s eyes swept across the group before barking, “Demeter, Chloris.”

Demeter and Chloris stepped forward, and Artemis noted the way Chloris clutched at her wife's hand, and her heart sank.

Gregory reached into the space between the two women, and suddenly he was grasping a gold-green thread that floated between them, protruding from their hearts.

He tugged on the thread, wrapping it around his fist, and Chloris yelped, panting, eyes wide and tear filled as Demeter loosed a low scream.

Gregory glanced the Gaia who shook her head, and he released the thread. Instantly, both women relaxed, pulling each other into their arms and sobbing.

They scrambled away, out of the room, and Artemis’ eyes were fixed to Gregory in horror as he explained his power. He claimed he was gifted by the fates, and as such could see threads connecting people, and interact with them.

He told Gaia with a smug grin, “I can make a mother loathe and kill her child with a flick or a string, I can make lovers fall from love, I can make enemies fall for each other, I can make strangers rage. I can make soulmate tear each other limb from limb. I can choke people on the loss of strings.”

Artemis felt sick. Still, in order to keep on her mask, she was forced to endure this man's company. He had mingled with their family, but had paid special attention to the women. In particular he seemed to want Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis.

Persephone had scared him away quickly enough, allowing her hands to blacken and rot as she held them up. She’d snarled some witty remark about her powers needing work, and how she wasn’t to blame if he touched her when she lost control of her death grip.

Aphrodite had stayed beside Ares' side, and while Artemis worried he might attempt to manipulate her strings, he didn’t dare before so many people. Besides, Ares’ temper was infamous, only the foolish would try to hurt him or his match.

Which left Artemis.

Artemis stood like a statue beside Apollo whole Gregory flirted, not responding save for glares of distaste. When he reached forward, plucking a silver thread from the air, Artemis’ chest squeezed.

He asked casually as he reeled it in, “Is this why you’re reluctant?”

Artemis felt like she couldn’t breath as he pulled harshly, her heart pounding so fast she felt like it would give out. Lungs too tight, like a fist was around her chest

“I could make this soul-string lead to me if you’d like. I’m sure I’m better-”

Artemis’ hand flashed out, and in an instant, a silver blade was pressed to his throat, a trickle of blood sliding down his neck.

“Let go of it. Now.”

He did, and it vanished the instant he did. Without worrying about what her grandmother would think, she ran, full out sprinting to her home even as her lungs and heart still felt like they were being squeezed, too tight.

When she rounded the corner with Apollo, their house coming into sight her stomach dropped, and a sinking feeling of deja vu swept her up. Smoke stung her nose, and up the hill, their house was consumed by fire.


	15. Chapter 15

Artemis’ legs and lungs burned as she ran. Her mind raced with thoughts, half formed and frantic. Distantly, she heard her grandmother’s voice, but she couldn’t register what was being said

When she was in the front yard, heat of the fire hot in her cheeks, she was caught by the waist by something that reeled her back. Artemis thrashed, bucking as she registered it wasn’t a person, but the limb of an aspen. Her grandmother screamed as she ran behind her,

“Artemis, it’s no use, you can’t get her out!”

Artemis noticed Orion out of the corner of her eye, being held in place by Eris and Hermes even as he struggled, staring up at the burning house. Eris could block the powers of any she touched. She was holding her match. He was powerless.

That made her thrash even harder, screaming as she summoned the moonlight from her walls. Orion wouldn’t have left her mother, she was sure, which meant he’d been forcibly removed, which meant this had been planned!

Finally, blinding, silver light met her hands, and she swung it before it was fully formed, slicing through her grandmothers restraints, and into the burning house, heedless of her brother and soulmates screams.

Once inside, Artemis quickly went about searching for her mother, ignoring the pain, the smoke.  _ Eyes burning _ ,  _ can’t breath! _

Leto was easy enough to find, coughing and crying, crawling slowly across the dining room flood.

She sobbed when she saw Artemis, scolding her even as her daughter picked her up and began making her way out.

“No, you can’t be in here, baby, it’s too dangerous,” Leto broke off into a coughing fit.

Artemis said nothing, taking her outside and laying her against the cool grass, “Mama, stay with me, please. Please, mama.”

Leto gazed at her daughter, eyes soft, “Love you so much, darling girl.”

Artemis heard her grandmother calling her a traitor, but didn’t turn.

Leto’s eyes widened though, and she struggled up, voice hoarse, “ARTEMIS!”

With a single burst of strength, Leto had moved so her daughter was laying in her place, and Artemis watched with horror as sharp spikes of wood protruded from her chest.

Artemis screamed, hands fluttering up to cup her mother's face, scrambling up. A choked whimper slipped from her lips, a sound that had Orion thrashing all the more frantically. Eris flinched, and Hermes faltered. Gaia canted her head in confusion, because she’d never heard her granddaughter make such a sound. So broken an agonized.

Eris and Hermes flashed past her, running for the main house out of the corner of her eyes. Running for help or running to get away she couldn’t be sure.

Artemis stood woodenly, eyes wilding darting for her grandmother. There she stood, surrounded by plants. Artemis rose, and felt her own power surge. The full moon was to be in less than a week, and the moon was high in the sky.

Orion watched in horror as his soulmate stood from where she had been staring brokenly at her mother’s body, and faced her grandmother. He watched as light began to shine from her so brightly he nearly had to look away

Artemis’ hands in particular grew so bright he couldn’t see if she was holding anything. She grew brighter and brighter until there was no other moonlight within sight, the moon itself like a pale, dark, distant disk in the sky, as if all of the light and shine of the moon had found a new home in Artemis.   
She shrieked her fury, hands going out, directing as Gaia met her attack with plants. Artemis was powerful, and enraged, but also clumsy and careless. In less than 5 minutes, Gaia had sent Artemis sprawling to the ground further away from Orion and was advancing.

So Orion jumped up, pulled an unconscious Apollo over his shoulder, and began running for her. They couldn’t beat her. Not now, not like this. Not with grief fresh and with no plan and so scattered.

Gaia didn’t glance at them, but must have sensed his approach because a large branch swept along the ground, likely meant to trip him. As it was, it only reminded him of his own power, and in an instant, Orion was beside Artemis.

She didn’t look to him. She was still glowing like an earthbound-star, eyes filled with rage so strong there was nothing else.

So he touched her arm.

“Artemis, we need to leave!”   
She looked at him, “No. I need to finish her. She’s killed my mother. She needs to die.”   
Orion shifted Apollo so the boy was facing Artemis, “No, Artemis, we need to leave. If we stay she’ll win and we’ll both die and Apollo will be alone. We will make her pay, but we need to focus and regroup first, and come for her when we are ready and she isn’t.”

Artemis’ eyes cleared, and she looked ashamed. She nodded, and Orion reached for her, when he was sent flying. Gaia had reached them.

Artemis ducked and rolled, avoiding the vicious attacks of her grandmother as Orion did the same, clutching Apollo and teleporting from place to place to place as quickly as he could. As he did, he gathered rocks and threw them at Gaia to distract her, never settling long enough to do more than throw a stone, but also avoiding her blows, and taking some of the heat off Artemis.

Then, just as he began to fear all was lost, just as Gaia got a vine around Artemis’ waist, it withered, rotting and crumbling to dust.

Orion’s eyes darted, and he felt relief well inside him. Persephone. His soulmates insane, sadistic, loyal cousin was standing beside her, hands skeletal and black.

She strode forward without fear, hands brushing against the attacks her grandmother sent her way as she dodged. Whatever her hands touched, crumbled, rotted, and turning to ash. Orion had seen that gift only two other times, in an assassin who had killed his brother and his husband, and one of his favored guards. The death grip. The ability to make one's skin deadly to anything organic larger than one of the beings own cells.

Persephone looked over her shoulder, “Get to Artemis then come back for me!”   
Orion didn’t pause to ask how she knew what his gift was, only teleported to Artemis, scooped her up, and vanished.

Once they were in Artemis’ rooms from before to prevent his guard from finding them and attacking them since he had no time to brief them, he vanished again, reappearing at the edge of the battle as he watched for an opening.

Once Persephone noticed him, he didn’t have to wait long, she ran for him. Just before she reached him, the death grip faded. So he grasped her elbow, and the two vanished.


	16. Chapter 16

Artemis’ legs and lungs burned as she ran. Her mind raced with thoughts, half formed and frantic. Distantly, she heard her grandmother’s voice, but she couldn’t register what was being said

When she was in the front yard, heat of the fire hot in her cheeks, she was caught by the waist by something that reeled her back. Artemis thrashed, bucking as she registered it wasn’t a person, but the limb of an aspen. Her grandmother screamed as she ran behind her,

“Artemis, it’s no use, you can’t get her out!”

Artemis noticed Orion out of the corner of her eye, being held in place by Eris and Hermes even as he struggled, staring up at the burning house. Eris could block the powers of any she touched. She was holding her match. He was powerless.

That made her thrash even harder, screaming as she summoned the moonlight from her walls. Orion wouldn’t have left her mother, she was sure, which meant he’d been forcibly removed, which meant this had been planned!

Finally, blinding, silver light met her hands, and she swung it before it was fully formed, slicing through her grandmothers restraints, and into the burning house, heedless of her brother and soulmates screams.

Once inside, Artemis quickly went about searching for her mother, ignoring the pain, the smoke.  _ Eyes burning _ ,  _ can’t breath! _

Leto was easy enough to find, coughing and crying, crawling slowly across the dining room flood.

She sobbed when she saw Artemis, scolding her even as her daughter picked her up and began making her way out.

“No, you can’t be in here, baby, it’s too dangerous,” Leto broke off into a coughing fit.

Artemis said nothing, taking her outside and laying her against the cool grass, “Mama, stay with me, please. Please, mama.”

Leto gazed at her daughter, eyes soft, “Love you so much, darling girl.”

Artemis heard her grandmother calling her a traitor, but didn’t turn.

Leto’s eyes widened though, and she struggled up, voice hoarse, “ARTEMIS!”

With a single burst of strength, Leto had moved so her daughter was laying in her place, and Artemis watched with horror as sharp spikes of wood protruded from her chest.

Artemis screamed, hands fluttering up to cup her mother's face, scrambling up. A choked whimper slipped from her lips, a sound that had Orion thrashing all the more frantically. Eris flinched, and Hermes faltered. Gaia canted her head in confusion, because she’d never heard her granddaughter make such a sound. So broken an agonized.

Eris and Hermes flashed past her, running for the main house out of the corner of her eyes. Running for help or running to get away she couldn’t be sure.

Artemis stood woodenly, eyes wilding darting for her grandmother. There she stood, surrounded by plants. Artemis rose, and felt her own power surge. The full moon was to be in less than a week, and the moon was high in the sky.

Orion watched in horror as his soulmate stood from where she had been staring brokenly at her mother’s body, and faced her grandmother. He watched as light began to shine from her so brightly he nearly had to look away

Artemis’ hands in particular grew so bright he couldn’t see if she was holding anything. She grew brighter and brighter until there was no other moonlight within sight, the moon itself like a pale, dark, distant disk in the sky, as if all of the light and shine of the moon had found a new home in Artemis.   
She shrieked her fury, hands going out, directing as Gaia met her attack with plants. Artemis was powerful, and enraged, but also clumsy and careless. In less than 5 minutes, Gaia had sent Artemis sprawling to the ground further away from Orion and was advancing.

So Orion jumped up, pulled an unconscious Apollo over his shoulder, and began running for her. They couldn’t beat her. Not now, not like this. Not with grief fresh and with no plan and so scattered.

Gaia didn’t glance at them, but must have sensed his approach because a large branch swept along the ground, likely meant to trip him. As it was, it only reminded him of his own power, and in an instant, Orion was beside Artemis.

She didn’t look to him. She was still glowing like an earthbound-star, eyes filled with rage so strong there was nothing else.

So he touched her arm.

“Artemis, we need to leave!”   
She looked at him, “No. I need to finish her. She’s killed my mother. She needs to die.”   
Orion shifted Apollo so the boy was facing Artemis, “No, Artemis, we need to leave. If we stay she’ll win and we’ll both die and Apollo will be alone. We will make her pay, but we need to focus and regroup first, and come for her when we are ready and she isn’t.”

Artemis’ eyes cleared, and she looked ashamed. She nodded, and Orion reached for her, when he was sent flying. Gaia had reached them.

Artemis ducked and rolled, avoiding the vicious attacks of her grandmother as Orion did the same, clutching Apollo and teleporting from place to place to place as quickly as he could. As he did, he gathered rocks and threw them at Gaia to distract her, never settling long enough to do more than throw a stone, but also avoiding her blows, and taking some of the heat off Artemis.

Then, just as he began to fear all was lost, just as Gaia got a vine around Artemis’ waist, it withered, rotting and crumbling to dust.

Orion’s eyes darted, and he felt relief well inside him. Persephone. His soulmates insane, sadistic, loyal cousin was standing beside her, hands skeletal and black.

She strode forward without fear, hands brushing against the attacks her grandmother sent her way as she dodged. Whatever her hands touched, crumbled, rotted, and turning to ash. Orion had seen that gift only two other times, in an assassin who had killed his brother and his husband, and one of his favored guards. The death grip. The ability to make one's skin deadly to anything organic larger than one of the beings own cells.

Persephone looked over her shoulder, “Get to Artemis then come back for me!”   
Orion didn’t pause to ask how she knew what his gift was, only teleported to Artemis, scooped her up, and vanished.

Once they were in Artemis’ rooms from before to prevent his guard from finding them and attacking them since he had no time to brief them, he vanished again, reappearing at the edge of the battle as he watched for an opening.

Once Persephone noticed him, he didn’t have to wait long, she ran for him. Just before she reached him, the death grip faded. So he grasped her elbow, and the two vanished.


	17. Chapter 17

When Orion and Persephone arrived in the room, Artemis was at the foot of the bed where she’d laid down Apollo. In an instant she was on her feet. Though the bond was filled with so much pain and grief laced with rage and hatred he couldn’t understand how he was standly, much less how she was, Artemis’ face was blank, her eyes empty even as she embraced Persephone and Orion.

“Please take us out of this room, I don’t want to be in here.”

Orion nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and putting his hand on Persephone’s shoulder before placing his hand on Apollo’s foot, and teleporting them to his own chambers. He showed Persephone and Artemis to rooms down the hall from his where they could sleep, and put led them to his study.

They sit, Orion in a love seat, Persephone in an overstuffed chair, and Artemis and Apollo on the floor. Artemis is holding onto Apollo’s hand so tightly he’s a little worried she’ll break it, but he says nothing. She had just watched her mother die, was still splattered with her blood. She seemed to be clinging to Apollo’s hand as a line to her sanity, and he wouldn’t upset the balance of her comfort for anything at the moment.

They say nothing as he looks them all over. Persephone is fine, not a hair out of place, but her face betrays great pain. Apollo is unconscious. His forehead was bleeding from where he was hit, but Orion had already checked to be sure his skull wasn’t cracked and he didn’t have a concussion.

Artemis was who he was worried for. She was covered in soot, ash and blood, and he couldn’t tell if she’d been burned, or how much smoke she’d inhaled, or how much of the blood was hers.

So he looked at her, “We need to clean you up and make sure you aren’t injured too badly. Once that’s done, and Apollo wakes up, we can start planning.”   
Artemis nodded numbly, and glanced at her cousin before saying in a deadened tone, “I wish we still had someone on the inside. This would be so much easier if that were the case.”

Orion smiled, thanking god he’d thought to plant tiny, hidden bugs everywhere and anywhere in the days leading up to their escape.   
“We have the next best thing. While we were there, I planted upwards of two dozen audio bugs of my own creation the size of flies anywhere I could think of. We won’t have a visual, but it’s something.”

Something akin to fondness broke up the pain in the bleed, and Artemis’ lips twitched.

Persephone leaned forward, “Here, Artemis, go with Orion, I’ll watch over Apollo and be sure he’s alright and won’t wake up alone.”   
Artemis nodded, standing to walk with Orion. She didn’t say a word as he guided her into his room, and then into his bathroom. He sat her on the edge of the tub and squatted in front of her. He willed his expression and eyes to go soft, banishing the worry and fear and anger at all that has happened from his face. Artemis had gone through enough tonight, and he could feel in the bond that she feels so lost and alone and afraid and is in so much pain. So he looked at her, and took her hands. His hands were stained black from the grime, but he didn’t say anything.

Instead he asked, “I need to get you cleaned up, and I’m honestly too shaken right now to feel comfortable to let you out of my sight. I can help you clean up, or sit outside.”

Artemis’ hands formed an iron grip around his, eyes flashing with grief as she looked at him, “Please don’t leave.”

Orion nodded, “Okay. Do you want to shower, or to take a bath?”

Artemis blinked slowly, before muttering, “I want a bath.”

Orion nodded, “Okay. And do you want me to help you, or just sit in the same room?”

He didn’t want to make her think he might have been pushing an agenda, not now. He wants her as comfortable as possible, safe and healthy. But Artemis looked the most blank he’d ever seen her, and for once he didn’t think it was a mask. It was shock, and he didn’t want to leave her alone like this. He knew after his grandmother had died, his mother hadn’t been able to do the simplest things alone for weeks, even if that was before he’d been born. She’d been so shell shocked she had been little more than a husk for years.

Artemis’ fingers tightened, “I want your help.”   
She shivered, and looked at him, “I want to curl up and sleep forever. Please just help me get through this.”   
He nodded, “I promise. Lets get started.”

He adjusted her to sit on the toilet and leaned into the tub, starting a stream of warm water into the huge clawfoot tub. Then he helped her undress and took a wet rag to start wiping some of the grime off until the bath was full. He made a point of keeping his eyes and mind from wandering. She was glorious, of course, but he wouldn’t let himself notice it. She was hurting and so confused and lost. He didn’t need to add to that in any way, shape, or form, and he knew how confusing physical relationships could make everything.

He’d managed to clean off her back and her shoulders and arms before the bath was full. He helped her into the tub and took a soft washcloth and some soap to wash her. It took three tubs of warm water before all of the muck and blood and soot and ash was gone from her skin, then he took note of her injuries as he washed her hair and let her soak.

Her legs and one arm had some minor burns that should be easy enough to heal with aloe, but he would be sure to have a healer look at in the morning. She was covered in bruises and cuts, but most were fairly small. She had thick bruising around her neck and waist though from her grandmother’s plants. He had felt her waist to check for cracked or broken ribs, but nothing seemed wrong.

Her hair wasn’t the easiest to manage, thick and long, but she seemed to take pride in it so he did his best. When she came back to herself and healed as much as she could, her hair would be as immaculate as ever.

He spent nearly 30 minutes soaping out her curls before moving on to conditioner and combing it through with his fingers. Nearly two hours after they had came in, he changed the water for the last time and let her soak as he vanished into her old rooms for a split second. He gathered sweatpants and a large t-shirt, a comb and boar-hair brush, aloe, lotion, antiseptic cream, a pair of warm socks, slippers, and a pony tail ring, appearing at her side again before she had ever noticed him gone. Then he helped her from the tub, dried her, and began applying the creams. Aloe to her burns, baby lotion to her skin that was mostly unharmed, and antiseptic cream to her cuts. He bandaged her wounds, dressed her, and guided her towards the study. Apollo was now awake, sitting with Persephone.

Artemis sat without a word in front of Orion, and he began combing her hair, starting with the boar-hair brush once it was dry enough. Only when Apollo began giving him the stink eye did he quickly braid it and tie it off.

Artemis leaned into his legs, and Orion set a hand on her shoulder.

“How are we to proceed?” Orion asked.   
Everyone was silent until Persephone said, “I think we need to sleep. We can discuss our plans once we’re rested and clearer of mind, but now is not the time.”

Orion nodded, looking between Artemis and Apollo, “I swear to you both, whatever you decide, I will back it. You have me and mine at your command.”

Artemis nodded, “Okay.”

Apollo stood, and he suddenly looked as lost as Orion knew Artemis felt.

“Where can we sleep?”

Orion stood, “I’ll show you to your rooms.”   
The three followed him to the rooms closest to his and entered with quiet ‘goodnights’.


	18. Chapter 18

Artemis curled up in her new bed alone. She felt so many things she was shocked they didn’t rip her apart. She was still whole, physically at least, no matter what the pain in her chest said. Anger, pain, longing, sadness, and shock warred inside her, and Artemis allowed herself to consider everything. Her mother had always said that sometimes, you needed to feel things, to allow things, even emotions to run their course. Not to let them rule you, but not to fight them. To fight your emotions made everything worse.

Then, a knock came at the door. Artemis wiped the tears she didn’t remember shedding and went to answer it. It was Apollo, eyes down cast, and he looked at her as he often had after their father had died and he came to sleep in her room when their mother was crying.

She let him in, and they crawled into the bed. Artemis hugged her baby brother, rocking him as he cried. This would have to be so much harder on him. Artemis had been chosen young to be an elite member of Gaia’s guard. She’d been trained to pick any lock, escape any bonds, survive any hardship.

Her initiation into the Divine had been being dropped in the middle of the desert with no supplies, and living there for a year as her family fed her dreams and hallucinations of her worst nightmares non-stop. They’d nearly driven her mad. About an month in she’d been unable to tell what was real.

She’d had to see her mother and brother and everyone and everything else she loved die in horrible ways non-stop for a year. This hurt, and Artemis might never fully recover or beleive it was real, but she’d seen it so many times she knew the only way to get through was to shut off your emotions, set your eyes on a goal like a spot on the horizon, and walk until you got to it then do that over and over again.

After a time Apollo quieted and fell asleep, so Artemis slipped from her bed and crept down the hall to Orion’s room. He was still awake. She could feel his emotions, like a quiet pulse in the back of her mind, soothing.

When she cracked open the door, there was a soft light shining from a bedside table and Orion was sitting at the head of his bed. He glanced over, eyes so soft, and patted the space beside him. Artemis climbed in, curling up beside him and resting her head over his heart.

A part of her instantly relaxed to have his heartbeat under her ear, steady, safe.

He kissed her hair, hand rubbing her back, “Didn’t want to be alone?”   
She shook her head, “Apollo came to me. He hasn’t had to deal with this before. He wasn’t ever trained like I was. He needs my support. Apollo is good company, just not the right company.”

Curiosity flared in the bond, and protectiveness, but he said nothing. 

“You can ask if you want. You’re probably the only person alive I’d tell all of it to.”

“Do you have any other scars? From training?”

Artemis nodded, and stood, turning on another light and sitting before him. She shoved her sleeves up, revealing light scars around her wrists.   
“From being tied for days as I leaned to escape.”

She pulled her shirt off, hand grazing her brand, “After my successful initiation. We’ll need to burn it off. It links my grandmother and my family to me.”

Orion’s mouth twitched in rage, but he said nothing. It distantly occurred to him she was naked before him from the waist up, but she seemed so unconcerned by it he didn’t mention it. It was off topic and unnecessary.

She turned, exposing her back. That's where the worst of the scarring was. Harsh white and pinks lines across her back, so many of them they seemed as one save for at the ends. She recalled some of them had been bled so badly they’d needed to be cauterized. That pain still lingered. The Divine allowed no painkillers, it made for soft warriors.

Rage flared in the bond, and his hand met her skin, tracing them.

“They whipped you?!”

His voice was soft but so full of anger she shivered.

She nodded, and swept her hair away from her neck, revealing a thin white scar stretching from under her chin, along her jawline, to under her ear and down the nape of her neck.

“I received this in training when Khione won in training. It’s customary to leave a permanant mark on someone you best in combat.”

Orion’s rage surged hotter, but his voice wasn’t angry when he said, “How many of those marks do you have?”

Artemis shrugged, “Eleven.”   
She pulled off her socks to reveal harsh line across the tops of her feet, stretching from the base of her middle toes to her ankle. She flipped her hands to show him her palms, a single line crossing each. She tugged her pant off and he saw a line of harsh brands across her inner thighs and across her hips. 6 of them.

His voice was strangled, “Who?”

“A man who wanted to join the Divine. He’s long dead. “

Orion’s voice was a growl when he swept her to him, holding her tight, as if he thought she’d vanish, “Good.”

Artemis’ voice was sad when she said, “I can’t believe for so long I couldn’t see the truth.”   
Orion sighed, “You love your family. To see the truth would have meant leaving. It was self defence.”

Artemis redressed, sank into him. Her voice was weary when she spoke.

“I’m so tired, Orion. In a way I think no amount of sleep or relaxation can help.”

Orion kissed her head again, “I understand. But sleep. It will help for a time. Maybe not a real fix, but it will give you a reprieve.  I’ll be here when you wake.”

Artemis whimpered, “What if I dream? I don’t want to see my Mama that way again. I can’t. I don’t think I could survive it.”

Orion petted her hair, “If you dream I’ll wake you and make you a tea my mother used to prevent dreams. I’d rather not for now because it can also keep some people from sleeping at all, but if that is what I must do to help you, then I will do it.”

Artemis sighed, “Thank you. I’m glad I have you.”   
Orion inhaled, “And I you. Sleep for now, love.”   
Artemis nodded and fell into an uneasy sleep in his arms.


	19. Chapter 19

Orion stared down at Artemis. She was relaxed in sleep, having lost the tension she’d seemed to always cary. Her face relaxed, dark lashes fanned across her cheeks. Her lips were parted, and she was snoring softly.

He took a moment to compile what he knew about Artemis, to memorize how she looked and felt dozing beside him. They were embarking on a dangerous mission together. To avenge her mother, and kill her grandmother. They might not survive it.

So Orion took this moment to take it all in. Artemis was clever. She was ruthless, dangerous, logical. He’d seen her slaughter an entire militia without hesitation or warning. She reasoned through things regardless of emotion, except for when it came to those she loved.

She’d ran into a burning house without hesitation for her mother, and he was certain she would have stayed in that house until it was ash if she hadn’t found her mother right away.

She’d been raised in what was essentially a cult, abused physically and mentally, and had some form of PTSD no doubt.

Her hair was soft, and her skin much the same. She was tall, with broad shoulders, and well muscled. Her hair and skin and eyes were each a different shade of brown that gleamed gold in the right light.

Her breathing was easy, and his fingers found her wrist, feeling the thump of her heart under his fingers. Orion had never imagined such small movements could bring him so much comfort.

After several moments, Orion turned off his light and curled around Artemis. He soon fell asleep beside his soulmate to the sound of her steady breathing.

 

Apollo watched as Artemis and Orion emerged from the latter’s room, and Orion had the grace to look sheepish before clearing his throat and speaking when Persephone joined them in the hall.

“I’ll show you all around the compound and inform my guards to not bother you, then we can meet in my study to discuss what we plan.”

Apollo stayed silent as he walked behind Orion and Artemis, glaring at their joined hands. Orion needed to stay away from her. He may have helped them escape, but that hardly made him worthy of Artemis, after all, if she died, so did he. It was no act of valiancy, but of self-preservation, plain and simple. He would need to find a moment with Artemis to discuss if she planned to keep him or stage a coup, take his compound, and lock him away. It would be an easy enough feat. He knew Artemis knew how to disarm him, and likely how to circumvent his powers. He seemed the type of fool to admit that willingly.

Persephone caught his gaze and he knew she knew what he’d been thinking. She hissed low enough that no mere  _ jumper _ would hear.

“Stop it. He saved our hides. We’d be dead if not for him.”   
Apollo bit out, “And I will repay that debt at the first opportunity. But I find no reason we need him. His forces, his compound? Yes. Him? No.”

Artemis glanced over her shoulder to glare and hissed, “Shut up.”

Apollo stuck his tongue out at her, but fell silent.

When they reached a door, Orion opened it to reveal a small, circular dining table with six settings piled high with food.

“I had time this morning to tell the cooks I had guests. Help yourselves to anything you’d like.”

Orion sat at the table, and Artemis sat at his side. Apollo resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his sister acting so love-struck and sat at her other side. Persephone sat between Apollo and Orion leaving two seats between her and Orion, and the four began loading their plates.

Orion spoke up, “I would like to take you all to the infirmary after breakfast to assure you’re alright.”

Artemis made a face, but nodded, and so Apollo and Persephone did the same. Orion sighed in relief at the lack of complaining, and they ate quietly for a time.

“My tactician and the head of my guard will be joining us shortly so we can inform them of what has happened, certain precautions that are to be put in place, and increasing patrols, and they’ll be joining us in my study later to discuss our strategy.”

All three nodded, and Artemis leaned in to begin speaking to Orion in a hushed voice. Apollo focused on his food. His sister wasn’t completely blinded by this he supposed. She’d chosen to save their mother, however moot that point had been made after, before freeing Orion. That was something he supposed

Apollo looked up from his plate when a man and a woman entered the room, each wearing russet red and brown clothing. The man was hispanic with thick black curls and warm brown eyes, the woman was black, and had her hair in thick braids swept up in an elegant bun at the base of her skull.

Orion stood, and so the rest did as well.

Orion held out his hand to shake theirs, “ Nahia, Raymond, thank you for joining us. This is Artemis, my match, her brother Apollo, and their cousin Persephone. Artemis, Apollo, Persephone, this is Nahia, my tactician, and Raymond, the head of my guard.”

Artemis shook both of their hands with a smile, “Pleased to meet you.”

They both smiled, and the woman spoke for them, “And you as well.”

She moved on to shake Persephone’s hand, and the moment they made contact, both of them froze, eyes widening. Apollo peered over to see green and gold lines shooting up both of their arms, around and around, blossoming into a display of flowers and vines across their arms that was almost life-like.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, before Persephone began laughing, a light, happy sound he’d never heard from her before. She pulled Nahia into her arms, hands fisting into the back of her shirt as her soulmate seemed to snap from her shock and held her close, carding a hand through Persephone’s blonde curls with a laugh of her own that was just short of hysterical.

All was quiet for several long minutes, and Apollo took the moment to study Nahia. She was short, thin, and seemed to not to be very physically strong. She was even smaller than Persephone who stood at 5 foot 4 inches. But then again, Orion had introduced her as a tactician. She wasn’t meant to be strong, she was meant to be smart.

After a moment, Nahia shook his hand, as did Raymond, and the three sat down. Persephone and Nahia’s chairs were pulled close, but the breakfast went as planned other than his cousin finding her soulmate.

After explaining what had happened and who they were against, they ate in relative silence save for Persephone and Nahia talking quietly and Orion and Artemis chuckling together over something. Apollo shared a look with Raymond, and they two bachelors did their best to ignore the two couples.

After breakfast was over Orion dismissed Raymond to brief his forces on the new arrivals at the compound and what would happen if the three of them were to be harmed. Then he took Artemis’ hand, and Persephone slung an arm around Nahia’s shoulders to hold her close, and the 5 were off to the infirmary.

All three were examined, though Persephone insisted nothing was wrong with her. Artemis and Apollo didn’t have that excuse. Apollo had been knocked over the head with a god-damned tree, and Artemis had run into a burning house and then engaged their grandmother in battle.

In the end, they were all deemed healthy enough that they didn’t need supervised. Apollo had a few scratches and a huge goose-egg on his head but was otherwise fine. Artemis had some minor burns that the healer put a salve on to prevent infection, and was given an inhaler for any breathing problems the smoke might have caused that had yet to show. Her bruises didn’t indicate any internal damage and none of her lacerations were large or deep enough to warrant stitches.

Apollo could tell Orion wanted to demand more in depth tests, but Artemis had given him a warning look, and he’d dropped it.

So they went to Orion’s study and settled down. Nahia listened as they spoke, telling her everything they knew about the Divine, how many there were, what they were gifted with, their usual strategies, their defences, and what they’d be likely to do.

She’d grinned with Orion told her he had planted bugs, and that he’d checked the night before to see if any had been found, but they hadn’t, and they also had no doubt recorded some things that could help them, but he had wanted to wait for Artemis, Apollo, and Persephone to be awake to play them.

Persephone cautioned him from where she sat with Nahia at her side, “Don’t plan too heavily around that information. I have no doubt if my grandmother did find them, she wouldn’t remove them, but use them to feed you incorrect information.”

Apollo nodded, and Artemis added on, “Our grandmother isn’t stupid. Because of this betrayal, she’ll be all the more aware of any and every move we could make and every chink in her armor.”

Apollo leaned forward, “Still. She’ll be more suspicious of everyone else due to this. Maybe even Hecate and Zues. You were her right hand, sister, and you turned. Perhaps we can sow that even more deeply. If we can increase dissention in her ranks and suspicions into the family, maybe more will turn.”

Artemis nodded, “Indeed. We can also-”

She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Orion called, “Come in!”

Raymond slipped inside, “Sir, we’ve received a correspondence from the Divine.”

Persephone’s eyes narrowed, and Artemis demanded, “What is it?”   
He swallowed nervously, “Hand over Artemis, or prepare for war.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much, much shorter than I'd like, but it's the only place I could stop this chapter without giving away too much too soon, and whatever I did to try and lengthen it felt forced. I'll update again within the next day or two assuming writers block doesn't come back :)

Apollo finally, finally understood why his sister was with Orion, if just a little. Because the second he heard those words, his hand was on Artemis’ and he was snarling. Just like his sister would be doing if their situations were reversed. 

“Like hell. Increase patrols, recruit new soldiers, and have my mother, brother, and yourself screen them. Send a message to the Divine saying I’ll see them on the battlefield.”

Raymond nodded and walked out, and Artemis looked at him, “What do you mean have your mother and brother screen them?”

“My mother is gifted with the ability to know when someone is lying to her without fail. My brother can read thoughts, and Raymond knows by touch where a person’s alliance lies. I will not put a betray within our ranks up to chance. I will not allow the Divine to so much as see you again.”

Artemis nodded, “Damn straight. Now, we need to look at what those bugs have recorded.”   
Apollo nodded, and Orion crossed to his desk, retrieving a laptop, and once he was seated again opening it and retrieving some files.

“I had a friend edit the files so any long stretches of time without anyone speaking was deleted.”

He set the laptop on the coffee table, and pressed play.

Everyone was silent as Gaia’s voice came through the speakers.

“We’re loosing her.”

Hecate responded, “I’ve put as much strain on the brand as I can keeping her. There’s nothing more I can do. Even with my influence, she feels loyalty more strongly towards her mother and brother than towards you. Her bond has yet to come to full fruition, but I have no doubt it will reach that point.”

Gaia tutted, “That won’t do.”

Hecate said, “I’ll do what I can, but I can make no promises.”

A shuffling sound, and the clip ended. Flipping through a few more, Orion said, “Here’s one from yesterday, just after we left.”

He clicked play, and it started.

“She’s betrayed us,” Gaia sounded furious, “She, Apollo, and Persephone are gone.”

A male voice who Apollo recognized as Zues said, “What should we do?”

A moment of silence, and then, “Fetch Hestia and tell Algea to prepare her rack. If anyone knew of this, it would be Hestia.”

Artemis paled, and Apollo gripped the arm of his chair so hard it creaked. Persephone’s eyes went ablaze.

The sound of a door opening and closing and then a moment of silence, and then the door opened and closed again.

Hestia said, “Gaia, what can I do for you?”   
Gaia said, “Artemis, Apollo, and Persephone have turned. We thought you might know something of this.”

Hestia sounded shocked, “I don’t. I’m so sorry mistress.”

Artemis glanced at Persephone who shrugged, despite how tense she was. Hestia knew of their plans. They’d invited her along, she’d been intended to come, but in their escape they hadn’t the time to retrieve her. 

If she admitted to Gaia the truth and omitted her plans to go with them, she might have been released back to her home without trouble.

Gaia tutted, “I don’t believe that, Hestia. You were a second mother to all three of them. You’ll be in the company of Algea until your tongue is loosened.”

Hestia screamed as she was dragged from the room, and Artemis sprang up.

“Send word to my grandmother that in exchange for Hestia you will hand me over.”

Apollo was on his feet in an instant, hissing, “You’ve gone mad! She’ll kill you!”

Artemis turned on him, eyes blazing, “You think I care! She has Hestia in the hands of Algea! Algea, the woman who has broken or killed every prisoner to grace us within 3 weeks, the woman who is gifted with the ability to bring pain!”

Orion said in an even tone, “Artemis, if you die, your mothers sacrifice is for nothing.”   
Artemis turned on him, growling, “It would have always been for nothing! The world needed her, not me! Either send word so I would be kept alive long enough to escape myself or so you may come for me, or I will go into the night and go to them myself. If I do that, I will be killed on sight.”

Persephone stood, grabbing Artemis’ wrist, “No! You know this is foolishness! We can rescue Hestia without handing you over! And if you go to them in exchange for Hestia, they know we have bugs! Think rationally!”

Artemis’ squared her shoulders, eyes flicking between the three, calculating.

“You are all opposed?”

They nodded, and Nahia said from Persephone’s side, “I am as well, though I imagine my opinion doesn’t matter as much as I'm new.”

Persephone kissed Nahia’s head, and murmured in a low tone that her opinion would always matter to her. Artemis wanted to roll her eyes at how quickly the two had bonded, but then, some Matches were like that, just clicking. Artemis and Orion didn't have that, but her mother and father had. Artemis was glad, if slightly jealous her cousin had gotten a smooth bond.

Artemis sighed, “Fine. Then we have 2 days to come up with an idea of how to retrieve Hestia before I go alone to get her out.”

Orion asked, “Why 2 days?”

Artemis eyed him, “Algea has caused many prisoners hearts to give out while torturing them, the earliest being after 4 days. I will not allow my aunt to be at risk for that.”

Orion nodded, and they all sat again, if they were far more tense, “Then we will make a plan to get her out before then.”   
The small group steeled themselves for what they might hear, and began listening to the rest of the recordings. 


	21. Chapter 21

Artemis paced a window, listening to Orion and Apollo ‘discuss’(argue over) strategies in barely civil voices. Persephone and Nahia watched with eyes that seemed  distant.

The tension in the room was so thick she could have cut it with a butter knife, and it was driving Artemis insane. They shouldn’t be arguing! They should be working to free Hestia! And because her brother and soulmate were stubborn and grated on each others nerves, they were far too busy fighting to do so!

Finally, Artemis snarled, “Shut up! Both of you just shut up! We aren’t accomplishing anything by fighting! So if you want to speak, say what contributes, nothing more!”

Almost immediately she regretted the words, but out of the corner of her eyes she noted Persephone nodding, so at least she hadn’t been the only one thinking it.”

Apollo glared back, “Artemis-”   
Artemis’ turned to him, “I swear to god I will send you to your room!”

Apollo huffed, turning away, and Artemis sighed. Orion looked amused, but hid his smirk.

“Okay. So we know the layout of the compound, and that the three of our codes won’t work any longer. We know patrols will be increased.”

She tapped her foot, before turning to the fireplace and began building a fire.

“What are you doing?” Orion asked, standing, “Are you cold? I could-”   
Artemis cut him off, “I need to burn off my brand so they don’t feel me coming a mile away, and I can’t stand around talking and doing nothing. So I’m doing this now”   
Persephone sighed, “So will I.”   
Apollo nodded, “And me as well.”

Nahia and Orion looked horrified, and Nahia cried, “Surely you can do this in the medical bay if it must be done!”

Artemis shook her head, “It needs to be done regardless of where, and hospitals make all three of us uncomfortable. It will be less stressful to do it here. Get a healer if you must, but this needs to happen.”

Nahia nodded, stood, and rushed to get a healer.

Orion watched with growing horror as Apollo riffled through his desk. He found a letter opener, and studied it, putting it back, before gathering sunlight from the window and turning it into three flat blades with long hilts that looked a bit like cake servers. Once Artemis deemed the fire hot enough, they began to heat the metal.

Nahia returned just as Artemis, Apollo, and Persephone had taken of their shirts, revealing their brands.

An experienced healer trailed behind her, looking on in shock and horror as they took the blades and pressed the flat expanses of the blades to their chests.

Every alarm bell that existed inside of Orion went off at once as the bleed went alight with pain, agony, anger, and determination. He had to clench his hands to keep from snatching the blade away from Artemis.

Nahia had her hands fisted at her side, so he knew it wasn’t just him.

Persephone had her eyes locked with Nahia’s, eyes big and intense, but free of tears, even as the scent of cooking skin filled the room. Artemis took Apollo’s free hand in hers as his head fell back and he stared at the ceiling. 

Artemis’ gaze met Orion, and Orion studied her face. Besides the ticking of her jaw, Artemis showed no signs of pain, eyes filled with steely determination.

Finally, when the metal cooled, Apollo let the blades turn back into light. The healer rushed forward, tutting about them being fools and unloading containers of salves and creams onto the coffee table.

Halfway through the healer tending to Persephone’s burn, a yell came from the live-feed they had playing of the bug in Gaia’s office over the sound of papers shuffling.

Hecate’s voice yelled, “They’re gone! They’ve rebranded themselves, I have no connection to them anymore!”

Gaia’s voice was harsh, “What?!”

Hecate sounded enraged, “They burned them off! I’m blind to them now! All of my work on those three down the drain because they’re feeling rebellious!”

Persephone’s chin jutted, and Artemis rolled her eyes.

Gaia hummed, “Perhaps they don’t plan to attack us.”

Hecate stammered, “Pardon, lady?”

“Think about it, Hecate. Artemis, Apollo, and Persephone were the most loyal of my guard. I expected them to keep the mark so they could lure us into an ambush, but maybe they just want out. We’ll still need to kill them of course, but I would like to believe there’s some lingering loyalty in there somewhere, after all these years.”

Artemis’ jaw ticked and her eyes narrowed. Inside she was screaming, screaming for her mother, her childhood, her father, screaming that she’d never be loyal to Gaia again. Outside she said nothing. A bit of her turmoil eased when Orion took her hand, but she remained tensed.

Hecate asked, “My lady, do you forget they tried to kill you!”

Gaia sounded amused, “Artemis was at her strongest and enraged by the death of her mother. If she wanted me dead, I believe I would be so. My granddaughter is many things, but weak is not one of them.”

Hecate sounded less convinced, “What should we do to protect ourselves?”   
Gaia hesitated then said, “Increase patrols and ensure everyone knows Artemis and everyone who joins her will be hunted and killed. Nothing more. We should proceed as if they will be coming, even if I don’t believe that.”

Hecate sighed, “Yes, my Lady.”

Gaia said, “Alright, now, how is Eros settling?”

Artemis and Apollo exchanged a look. There had been no Eros among their number as of two days ago, so he must be the man who had joined the other night.

Hecate made a sound of frustration, “Not well, my Lady. We’ve already received many complaints of his abuse of power on others in the compound, especially on women. I fear he is letting his power get to his head.”

Gaia said, “That is troubling. But he is one of us now, so this must be handled tactfully…”

Hecate suggested, “We could send him on a suicide mission.”

Gaia’s voice was delighted when she crowed, “That’s it! We’ll send him after Artemis and her rag-tag group of traitors! He could take one or two of him with him, but it’s unlikely he’d survive the attack.”

Hecate said, “Then I will send him on his first mission.”

The sound of the door opening and closing again, then silence.

Artemis glanced to Persephone as the healer moved on to tending to Apollo despite Orion’s glare.

“That seems too good to be true,” Persephone said.

Artemis nodded, “It does. Do you think she found the bug?”

Persephone frowned, “Possibly. Or she doesn’t want to believe she lost three of her most loyal members of her guard.”

Orion said, “There's a sensor on the bugs that alerts us if they’ve been touched or moved. The only way she’s found it without us knowing  is if someone within the compound can sense technology.”

Artemis glanced at Persephone, and she smirked, “Nope.”

Apollo rolled his eyes at his cousin, “Gossip.”

Persephone huffed exaggeratedly, “Well excuse me for keeping tabs on all information in case it’s needed.”

Artemis stifled a giggle, shifting closer to Orion as the healer started on her burn.

Once he finished the healer turned and walked from the room, muttering about the foolishness of the gifted and how they thought themselves invincible. Artemis admitted sheepishly to herself that she couldn’t disagree. Between everyone she’d met, the non-gifted were always much more aware of their limits, and where to stop.

Turning back she sighed, “Okay. Back to Hestia.”

She looked at Orion, “How does your teleportation work? Could you get to Hestia if we lured the guards away?”

Orion nodded, “Yes, I think so. How could you lure them away?”

Artemis smirked, “I’m going to sow distrust, and get my grandmother to summon Algea to her office. Algea is quite possessive of the people on her rack, no one else will be allowed into that room.”

Orion raised a brow, “Please elaborate?”

“Is there anyone in your compound who can broadcast hallucinations?”

Orion nodded, “Yes.”

Artemis nodded, “We should have him give my grandmother auditory hallucinations of Zues and Hera saying from another room they and Algea are with us and waiting for a signal from us to take her out.”

Orion considered, “We’d need a way to disguise him.”   
Apollo said, “Right. We need someone who can go invisible.”

He looked at Artemis, and her eyes widened.

“No, that's too dangerous. He could turn on us! He’s still with the Divine!”

Apollo nodded, “But he could do it. If you could just get me in the same room as him, I could convince him.”

Orion asked with a canted head, “Who?”

Artemis sighed, “Hermes.”


	22. Chapter 22

Orion awoke the morning of their planned rescue with a pit in his stomach. Artemis sat beside him, hands combing his hair, eyes distant.

When he stirred, she looked down at him, the shadows written across her face that clouded her eyes cleared for a second, and she leaned down to kiss him.

Orion smiled as their lips melded, and it occurred to him that this was their first real kiss since their escape.

Artemis pulled back, “What are you thinking?”

Orion sighed, “I’m worried. If Apollo has misjudged Hermes’ character or the friendship they share, none of this will work.”

Artemis nodded, “It worries me to. But Apollo has always been a good judge of character, and Hermes was like a brother to us. If anyone in that compound is likely to help us, it’s him.”

Orion sat, and leaned his forehead against hers, “Alright then. Let us prepare.”

 

Apollo was nervous. Hermes was his closest friend, and he had to be one of the members starting to see past the Divine’s facade, he was too smart not to. But he was also stubbornly loyal, to the point of blindness.

So as he sat in Hermes’ room, he pondered the ways this day could go. He could die today. His sister and cousin and their Matches as well. Or they could triumph, gain Hermes as a part of their alliance, and shake the Divine to their core. Make them even more nervous, even more suspicious of each other. Then they would strike, and avenge their mother.

He could be captured, tortured for information. Apollo took a deep breath, then another, calming himself. He’d seen what Algea could do. How she could break a person. He didn’t want to even consider the possibility of him betraying his sister by talking, but he wasn’t cocky enough to pretend he wouldn’t break. He didn’t have the training Artemis did, to close her eyes and completely be apart from the world around her. Artemis had been an agent of stealth and power for missions in the outside world, Apollo was a guard trained to protect their home, and their training had been vastly different as such.

Apollo was startled from his musings by the sound of footsteps on the stairs by Hermes’ quarters. Silently, Apollo stood, closing his eyes for a moment.

His awareness shifted away from his body, and suddenly he was the very sunlight that covered all, given a 360 degree view of everything. His awareness flowed past the door outside, and everything was much more clear. He fought to keep his consciousness where he wanted as it drifted, and for a moment he feared it would float away on the breeze, as he always feared when doing this, before he managed to anchor himself by imagining what the Divine might do if they found his body. The pain they’d inflict, the secrets they’d wring from him. The idea chilled him to his soul

He saw who it was Hermes, coming towards his apartment, with Zues, Gaia’s only living child, beside him.

Apollo gasped as his consciousness recoiled, slamming back into him, and he turned, slipping into Hermes’ hall closet as quickly as he could and hiding under a mess of jackets and shoes he never bothered to put away. Apollo silently rejoiced at his cousin’s messiness for once as he huddled, hidden, and waited. 

Apollo shuddered as he recalled why he didn’t use that facet of his power often, the feeling of being detached, like he was without gravity or muscles or anything to push off against. No way to move or scramble towards a goal without using fear or rage to anchor him, and even then he felt like too many helium balloons on too small a weight. Like if he were to gain or loose anything he’d be lost to the aether forever, without a body.

The door opened only seconds after Apollo had settled, and Apollo listened as Hermes spoke.

“Listen, I told Lady Gaia that I would say if I saw anything on my patrols or heard from Persephone and the twins, but I haven’t. I want them caught as much as everyone else, but I can’t give you guys information I don’t have.”

Zues sniffed, “And Artemis said she’d be loyal to the Lady till her last breath, people lie.”   
Hermes snarled, “I might be a thief and a spy, but I’m no traitor. If you’re going to insult me, you can see yourself out.”

Zues said in a dangerous tone, “Speak to me with respect, or you’ll know the taste of my lightening, boy”   
Hermes sighed, “I swear on my life I haven’t heard anything, my Lord.”

Zues grumbled, “Fine. I’ll see you on shift rotation then. You know the new schedule, correct?”

Hermes affirmed, “Yes, I went to get it the moment patrols were increased.”

Zues said, “Well then, I’ll leave. You hear anything, come to Gaia, Hecate, or I directly, understood?”

“Yes.”

The door opened and closed, and the oppressive, heavy presence of Zues faded, like the pressure of a storm front easing after rain.

Apollo bit back a sigh of relief, listening as Hermes bustled around his apartment for several moments. His legs were cramping, and he longed to see his friend, but Apollo remained still as stone.

He wasn’t sure what to do and it tore at him. Hermes had protested his loyalty, and even if it was for self-preservation, his voice had held no lie. Even after all these years, Apollo wouldn’t claim to know all of Hermes’ tells or trick, or be able to read him. He was much like Artemis in the way of keeping his cards close to the chest. Still, even if Apollo couldn’t be certain one way or the other what team Hermes was playing or if trusting him was wise, he had to gamble it. After all Hestia had done, to leave her in the hands of Algea filled him with so much guilt and worry he was nearly sick.

His heart stopped when Hermes rapped on his closet door in their secret knock, and called in a teasing voice, “I know you’re in there, you know.”


	23. Chapter 23

Apollo stepped out of the closet(there was a joke about him being gay in there somewhere he knew, but now was not the time), and smiled sheepishly at Hermes.

“Hey.”

Hermes looked him up and down before wrapping Apollo in a hug, “I’m sorry about your mom.”

Apollo’s breath hitched, and he nodded, “Thanks. I take it you aren’t a sheeple then?”

Hermes nodded, pulling away from the hug“And I take it you’re not here for a social call?”

Apollo shook his head, “Gaia has Hestia with Algea.”

Hermes stiffened, “What?”   
Apollo nodded and Hermes paced, “That bitch! Hestia?! Sweet, lovely Hestia who helps her tend her garden and heals our sick and and injured?!”

Apollo nodded again, “The very same. Artemis sent me to try and convince you to help us. We have a plan, if you’ll lend us your abilities.”   
Hermes considered, “I will, so long as you promise to take me away too.”

Apollo nodded, patting Hermes’ shoulder, “We will.”

Apollo reached into his pocket and pressed the button Orion had given him for if he succeeded in securing Hermes’ assistance.

 

Artemis stared at the small screen sitting on the desk, elbows on her knees, heart in her throat. She should have never allowed Apollo to go alone. He could have been captured or hurt or killed. He could be praying for rescue right now, while she was sitting here doing nothing.

Still, she was silent. She knew from past missions that to veer from the plan without reason could only lead to disaster. For now, she had no reason. So she had to wait.

 

Artemis watched quietly as Orion and Hermes planned. Occasionally she leaned in to correct something, or add an idea, but mostly, Artemis just watched and listened.

Artemis loved her cousin, she truly did, but she had to be cautious. If she trusted him when she shouldn’t, especially in this lions den of their family, she may not live to regret it, Orion and Apollo wouldn’t live to regret it.

So Artemis watched. 

Orion glanced at her at one point, asking her, “Could you get someone to talk about Hestia quickly?”

Artemis nodded, “I could, depending on who.”

Hermes looked at her, “Hera probably knows. Zues would have told her.”

Artemis nodded again, shifting closer to Orion, “I can get her to break in 5 minutes, no problem.”

Orion nodded, “Alright, let's do this.”

The trio stood, shuffling towards the door. Hermes raised his hands to them, body and arms rocking slowly, before gaining speed and strength, seeming to convulse, before he snapped his hands up and out.

Instantly, Artemis felt lighter, the world going blurry for several long moments before settling again. They were invisible.

Cloaked from their family, they began forward, into the place that had once been Artemis’ home. Into the den of their enemies. Into a trap. If only Artemis was aware what dark fate awaited her and those she loved in that place, she might not have gone.

The life and peace of one aunt could only excuse so much of the blood-shed and suffering that day brought about.

 

Artemis groaned as she came into consciousness, mind fuzzy and limbs heavy. Confusion and fear warred inside her head as Artemis looked around. Instantly, she froze, mind clearing. She was strapped to a table.

Artemis yanked at her bonds but they held fast. Taking in her surroundings, Artemis’ stomach sank as she recognised her surroundings. A dark, damp room with stone walls, floor, and ceiling, lit only by fire-light and the light coming through long, thin windows along the top of the walls. Algea insisted that she worked better without artificial light.

Every time she’d been down here before, the room had been covered in gore, the tools strewn about and covered in blood, the stench of bile and blood and sweat thick in the air. Now, it was not so.

Algea's tools were neat, clean, lining shelves and walls. Around the room, many different types of machines and devices were set up, ready for use at any moment should they be needed. Everything was clean and sterile, a blank slate for Algea to use her horrific gift to break Artemis across.

The metal slab was clean and cold beneath Artemis’ back, her body bare save for two straps of leather for modesty.

When Artemis had been but 13 years old, Gaia had teased when Artemis had studied the man strapped to the table, “We might need this done, but we are not monsters. Only the most stubborn prisoners require access to what the straps conceal.”

Artemis had been horrified then, and now, she was even more so.

Artemis lay her head back on the table, closing her eyes as she tried to remember what had led to this. The last thing she remembered was sneaking down a hall with Hermes towards the rack, turning a corner, and just before it all went dark, a spike of panic coming through the bond.

A door opened and closed somewhere nearby, and Artemis gave her restraints another yank. They stayed firm, and Artemis laid her head back and stared at the ceiling.

Artemis’ heart clenched as she wondered in Apollo and Orion were safe. Was Hestia? Persephone and Nahia? Had Hermes betrayed them? Or had this been mere chance? She couldn’t say with any certainty. Hermes had always been difficult to read, and he was a known thief and liar. Her grandmother was smart and strong though, even if Hermes had been on their side, she could have easily apprehended them.

Her eyes slid towards the door as it opened, and her grandmother came through first, followed by Algea.

For several long moments, Artemis watched her grandmother circle her, eyes intent. Algea studies her too, eyes hard and a bit angry.

Artemis looked to her grandmother, growling out, “You’re the traitor here, grandmother. Killing and maiming and claiming it’s out of love. You abuse your power and kin.”

Her grandmother flinched as if she was struck, and Artemis watched with angry eyes as Gaia looks to Algea.

“Find all she knows. Give no mercy, but don’t allow her death.”

Algea frowned, “But my lady, I-”

Gaia turned to her, “Her death belongs to me, understood?”

Algea nodded, though her eyes were alight with displeasure, and Artemis watched as Gaia leaned forward aggressively, “I abuse nothing, you are the only traitor here. This is not what I want, this is on you.”

With a sweeping gesture of her gown she stormed from the room.

Algea picked up an instrument Artemis didn’t have a name for, and grinned at her.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't so bad. The next one is. I'm sorry in advance.

Orion started awake in a prison cell. Looking around, he found Apollo and Hermes across the cell from him.

He gasped as the bond went alight with pain and he threw himself up, moving to teleport. But nothing happened. Orion growled, throwing himself at the bars with a feral howl.

Apollo snapped, “Shut up! There’s no way out of this.”

Orion turned on him, “They’re hurting her! They’re hurting Artemis!”

Apollo flinched, and Hermes leaned forward, eyes narrowed, “Then she’s already with Algea. We can do nothing.”

Orion looked at Apollo, “What’s blocking my powers?”

Hermes was the one who responded as he stood, pacing the length of the cell, “Hephystus can imbue physical objects with the abilities of the gifted. Eris and he created these cells together, so we’re stuck.”

Another wave of pain hit Orion, so strong he stumbled back, “Oh god. We need to get out. We need to get out now.”

Hermes stared out the bars, “I might have a plan, but I can’t guarantee it will work.”

Orion looked at him, “Just get us out of these cells, and I can get us all out.”

Hermes nodded, “Then this will hurt.”   
Without a word of explanation, he lashed out, sending Orion across the cell, landing in an unconscious heap by the opposite wall.

Apollo gazed between them, “Was that part of the plan?”

Hermes smirked, “No, he was just getting on my nerves. He’ll need to be awake for the real plan.”

Apollo almost smiled at that.

Hermes noticed, “Hey, Artemis is the toughest person I know and Grandmother won’t kill her yet, we’ll all get out of this.”

Apollo nodded, and he sat, “So, how are we getting out?”

Hermes sat across from him, “It’s a work in process. We need a way to get out of this cell though. That’s our biggest priority. We’re of no use in here.”

Apollo nodded, leaning back, “And how exactly are we gonna do that?”

Hermes was quiet for a moment before sitting up straighter, “Fuck me, did they take my lock picks?!”

Apollo watched as he fumbled in his pockets before producing a small black case. He unzipped it, and Apollo held his breath as Hermes stood.

Hermes walked forward, pressing his face between the bars and glancing around. He looked to Apollo, shooting him an impish grin before pulling a small metal tool from the case and sliding it into the lock.

 

Artemis’ jaw was tensed and her eyes clenched shut. She was distantly aware of pain, taunting, words from Algea as she tortured her. But all of her focus was on creating a sanctuary in her mind. Away from the Divine, away from the rack, away from Algea.

A place of peace where she could find some distance from the pain that wracked her body.

In her mind's eye, Artemis lay in a grassy field at night, Orion at her side. The moon was big and bright at her back as they kissed, her arms tight around him, his hands firm on her waist.

She was jared from the scene when Algea ripped her fingernails from their beds, and poured vinegar and rubbed salt into the bared flesh.

Artemis’ breathes were heavy and labored, but she forced herself back to her daydream. Anything but this.

In Artemis’ mind she straddled Orion’s lap and ran her fingers through his hair as she gazed at him. She leaned in and kissed his lips, his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, his eyelids, his jaw, his neck. She kissed every inch of skin revealed to her

As she leaned in to place another kiss to his mouth, Artemis was once again forcefully pulled from the daydream.

Algea drew knives along her flesh, splitting the skin and then ripping it. As she did so, she spoke.

“Your brother is enjoying similar treatment, Artemis, worry not. He writhes at the hands of my child, my heir. She is not as practiced as I, but I’ll see to him as well, do not fret. His pain will be as deep as yours. His suffering will feed me as yours does.”   
Artemis struggled against her bonds in vein, longing to strike Algea. She said nothing, but her glare spoke as loudly as screams.

Algea smiled, “Your match will soon endure the same pain. He has yet to wake, but I will see to him personally, so you might feel twice the pain and know you have utterly failed all you love. Apollo, Hestia, Orion, even Persephone soon. I know Gaia wants you alive, but it's hardly my fault if you bleed out. I want you to die alone and in pain, knowing you’ve failed those who you were foolish enough to turn for.”   
Artemis screamed, spitting at Algea. The older woman laughed, dodging easily, and turned. She retrieved a thin, long knife, and put it atop a heating tray. 

Artemis flailed against her bonds as Algea heaved a set of ropes. One of Artemis’ legs was forced out and to the side.

Artemis watched in horror as Algea replaced the slab of metal beneath her leg with bars. She tensed and squirmed uselessly as Algea picked up the knife, and began to push it past her skin into thick muscle.

Artemis bit her cheek and let her head slam back to the table as she tried to force her mind away from her body, away from this agony.

 

When Orion woke again, the pain in the bond had subsided. It was still there, but far, far less of it, and it was more of a hum in the background compared to the rest of the emotions swirling through it.

He stood quickly, turning to find Apollo and Hermes at the door to their cell. Orion had to take a deep breath and remind himself Apollo and Hermes were family to Artemis.

Then he snapped, “What the fuck?!”

Hermes glanced at him, grinning, “Oh, you’re up. About time.”

Orion’s hands clenched, “I’d have been awake the whole time if you hadn’t knocked me unconscious!”

Hermes chuckled, “Yes, I realize that.”

Orion glared, stepping closer, “You knocked me out.”

Hermes huffed, “Have you seen you, you’re very annoying. I’m shocked Artemis got matched with someone so…. Emotionally out of control.”   
Orion closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “Nevermind. What plan do you have to get us out?”

Apollo muttered, “We’re working on it right now, just come to the bars and watch for guards.”   
Orion did, going to the bars and peering up and down the hallway.

He noted what they were doing and furrowed his brows, “How long have you been at that?”

Hermes shrugged, “Almost 20 minutes. I’m no slouch but neither is Hephystus. I think we’re getting close though.”

Orion nodded, but stayed silent. It would do no good to snap at those two, and would be worse than counterproductive if he knocked Hermes out. So he was quiet and promised himself he’d get back at the brat later.

Five minutes later, the lock came un-done with a ‘click’, and the three quietly cheered and slipped from their cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone notice the quote from the DC abridged universe?


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I totally thought about ending the story here, but I decided not to. You're welcome for that, and I'm sorry about everything else

Artemis thought it was a dream to ease her passing, seeing Orion. She’d opened her eyes, gaze blurry, mind slow, and found Orion leaning over her.

She smiled at him, and heaved in a labored breath. 

He was speaking, but Artemis couldn’t understand what he was saying. She just smiled at him and looked at him without a mask, hoping he understood the words she now may never be able to tell him.

Artemis caught a glimpse of Apollo and Hermes to her other side, and felt her bonds give away before she was taken by the darkness.

 

Orion had wanted to do murder when he saw Artemis. The moment they’d been out of the cells, he had taken his soulmates brother and cousin by the wrists and teleported them to Artemis’ side.

A middle aged woman had been hunched over her, coated in blood, working a hot knife into her calf. The smell of cooking skin filled the room, and Orion had burned with rage.

He surged forward before the woman could process his presence and had her in a choke hold. She’d gasped and clawed at his arms, but it hadn’t taken long before she’d gone unconscious.

He cast her away roughly when she went limp, going to Artemis’ side.

As one hand had shakingly worked at the straps of her bonds, the other hand cupped her cheek. Her eyes opened, and she’d smiled at him.

Orion had said firmly as he’d worked at her bonds with both hands, “Hey, stay with me. Come on, just hold on, okay?”

She smiled at him, and any remnants of a mask fell away, and she was gazing at him with love and adoration.

He finally undid the strap at her wrist and moved on to the one at her elbow. When that fell away, there were no bonds left. Her eyes flicked to Hermes and Apollo, and her smile widened just a bit. Then her eyes slid closed.   
Orion scooped her up in his arms, and snapped at the other two, “Put your hands on my shoulders, now! We need to get out of here!”

Apollo and Hermes sprang to his side, but before they could reach him, he fell, unconscious. Hermes and Apollo stared at Algea, who glared back, pipe in hand as she reached over and pressed a panic button before either could stop her.

 

Artemis dreamed a lot. She had dreams of her mother. She dreamed of past missions with her team, she dreamed of how things might have gone if she and Orion had been ordinary people who met on the street.

She had a very vivid dream of waking to Orion at her bedside, raining sweet kisses across her hand and wrist and forearm. Of him promising her camping trips and movie dates and lazy mornings so long as she just pulled through.

In her dream she had laughed, and told him she’d always come for him, he didn’t need promises. Didn’t he see she’d already chosen him over all else? She stood by her decisions. Then his face had turned into her grandmothers, and she’d demanded promises of loyalty as Artemis screamed.

Artemis dreamed of dark caves, thick forests, of running as beasts hunted her. She dreamed of hunger and pain and fear made worth it by love.

She dreamed she was a puppet with rusted hooks in her bleeding limbs. She dreamed her grandmother was above her, making her dance and move as Artemis howled in agony. She dreamed of her grandmother gazing down at her as a child looks at a favorite toy after it had broken.

She dreamed of lighting her grandmothers long blonde locks on fire and burning her alive the way Gaia had her mother.

 

Artemis was surprised when she woke. She hadn’t thought she’d wake again, much less to anything other than blood and flames and torture. As it was, this wasn’t much better.

She woke with her grandmother’s vines wrapped tight around her. She woke to chaos. She woke to Gaia winding the plants so tight around Artemis she couldn’t breath no matter how much she gasped, and she could feel her bones grinding and giving way bit by bit.

She woke to Orion screaming at Gaia to release her.

She woke to the blurry, spinning sight of Orion across the room, Hermes at one side, Apollo at the other, and Hestia limp in one arm.

Her grandmother spoke and Artemis wanted to vomit.

“I’ll give you my little moon-” Artemis flinched slightly at the nickname- “If you kill Hestia.”

Orion snarled, “Why do you want that?”

Gaia shrugged, and her vines undulated around Artemis, allowing her a gasp of air before tightening again, “I don’t  _ want _ that per-say, but I’ve always taught my children the importance of sacrifice, and it would be hypocritical to give you the traitor without a suitable sacrifice.”

Gaia’s tone was cooly mocking, easy. Artemis wished it were night so she could summon her swords and slash her grandmother and her vines to ribbons for this.

One of Orion’s hands twitched towards Hestia’s neck, and Artemis struggled to curse him out, to tell him if he did anything to her aunt, she’d kill him. But she was so starved for breath only a low wheeze came out.

Orion’s eyes met hers, and she bared her teeth weakly, giving him her best snarl that would be accompanied by the words ‘Don’t you dare!” if she had the breath.

As it was it only seemed to make his determination grow.

Gaia’s vines loosened for a split second, and Artemis gasped out, “If you do this I’ll never forgive you. I’ll deny our bond and flee to the farthest reaches of the earth to get away from you. You will never see me-”

The vines squeezed tight again, and Artemis struggled for air as she tried to keep her blurry eyes on Orion. He met her eyes.

His brows drew upwards, and he mouthed an apology, or maybe he spoke it aloud. Artemis couldn’t hear it, but her blood rushed in her ears, her bones grinding, and the sound of her own mind working was deafening.

One of Apollo’s hands shot out, but before he could do a thing, Orion had a hand around Hermes’ wrist and Apollo’s, vanishing and reappearing without them so quickly Hestia hadn’t the time to hit the ground.

Her eyes fluttered open when Orion caught her, and Artemis desperately tried to squirm as Hestia gazed in horror at Artemis and Gaia.

Orion whispered something to her, and even with her mind so slow and confused, her eyes blurry, she could read the words ‘Have to’ and ‘protect her’ on his lips.

Hestia looked to him and nodded, lips in a soft smile, but eyes steely. Orion’s hands shot forward, and he snapped Hestia’s neck

Artemis was sent sprawling to the ground as Gaia’s vine released her and slapped her forward. She distantly heard screaming, and when she drew a breath and it stopped she realized it was her own screams.

Then, Orion’s arms were around her and they were gone.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, my muse decided to fuck off on an unauthorized vacation, the flaky bitch. Updates will be a little slower as a result. Enjoy the angst!

Orion hated what they had come to. Only a week ago, he and Artemis had been sleeping in the same bed, sharing chaste but romantic affection, and leaning heavily on one another. Working towards more. And it had felt right.

Now, she was gone. He couldn’t blame her. He had killed her aunt in front of her, even as she had begged(or at least as close as she came to begging) him not to. It didn’t matter that it was in trade for her life.

Persephone was cold, but she understood. She had Nahia, she now understood the need to protect your match at all costs. Artemis understood, but she still couldn’t bare to look him in the eye.

She stayed for 2 days. Enough time to ensure her brother and cousins were safe, get medical treatment, and accept the supplies he had offered. 

He couldn’t blame her. She’d lost her aunt at the hands of her match, that was a betrayal only portrayed in the darkest of tragedies.

So he’d silently watched the other half of his soul pack a car with her brother and cousin, preparing to drive away from him forever. He watched without regret, because he would always rather she be alive and furious with him, than dead and happy.

He stood beside Persephone, who had decided to stay with Nahia, unwilling to ask her to choose.

His eyes watered when she, Apollo and Hermes approached, but he stood tall and refused to shed tears.

She didn’t look at him. She ignored his very presence as she hugged Persephone tight, kissing her cheek, then Nahia’s.

She stepped back, and Apollo hugged Persephone, and to his surprise, Orion as well.

He hissed in his ear, “I don’t like you. I don’t like what you did. But you brought my sister home alive, even at the cost of Hestia.”

When Apollo pulled back and stood beside Artemis, his eyes were filled with grief, and anger, but also glimmered with a respect for Orion that had been far and away lacking prior to their rescue mission.

Hermes also hugged both Persephone and Orion, though he said nothing. He did, however, hand Orion his wallet, keys, and phone, all of which he had assumed he’d lost in the chaos of the last week.

He shrugged, “I’m a thief, but since we couldn’t convince Artemis to stay, I figured you might need them back.”

Orion nodded his thanks. Artemis turned to go, and Orion sighed his final words to her.

“Slán, mo réalta.”

Goodbye, my star.

Artemis flinched harshly, and stilled. Orion thought for a moment she would turn back, to scream she was not his or to kiss him one last time he couldn’t be sure. The bond was so full of confusing and conflicting emotions he wanted to vomit. It had been for the past few days.

Days of constant, unyielding agony, longing, anger, hatred, self-loathing, to name a few constants. It only became more confusing and overwhelming when they were together, so he’d done his best to leave her be.

She turned to look at him, and Orion was sent awash in longing and rage, hatred and love. She closed her eyes for a moment, jaw clicking, before turning away again.

Standing tall, she walked away from him. He didn’t miss how her hands trembled when she opened the car door, and sat. He didn’t miss how she bent over to put her forehead to the steering wheel for a moment.

Still, she didn’t look to him or speak as Apollo and Hermes climbed into the car. Just started the vehicle and drove away.

Drove away from her soulmate, away from the man who loved her, away from the man she loved and hated in equal measure with all she had.

Artemis wished she’d loved or hated him, wished she’d felt more one way than the other. Then her path might have been clear, her decision might have been easy. As it was, her heart beat for him alone, of that she was certain, but everything inside of her also screamed for his blood.

She couldn’t stay. It hurt her to be away from him, but if she stayed, she could make no promises about what she might do. She might dishonor Hestia’s memory by allowing herself to be with him. She might cut him down with her blades and risk death or worse-living with a disconnected bond.

No, she wouldn’t allow herself the pain of either. She would slip away with her brother and their cousin and find a quiet little corner of the world in which they could hide from their family. Persephone was bonded and happy, and while Artemis wasn’t certain she’d ever see her again, she could live happily enough knowing Persephone was protected in Orion’s strong hold.

Artemis’ eyes burned, and her hands went white-knuckled on the steering wheel.

Apollo kept glancing at his sister from the passenger seat, sliding her worried looks. It was driving her mad. She would need to find a time to talk with him about all that would've happened when they stopped. But not now.

Not when she was driving and the loss of their mother and aunt was still so fresh even Artemis wanted to sob. Not with Hermes in the back seat listening.

She loved her cousin, she really did, but this was a sharp, visceral pain he’d never understand. His mother was safe in the Divine’s compound, and they’d never been close. The only family he’d ever really gotten close to was Apollo, and by extension Artemis and Leto.

He was unbonded, he didn’t understand the feeling of being forced away from your match for the sake of your own sanity. It was possible it was only for a time, Artemis knew better than anyone how fluid and ever changing the future was, but there was no future Artemis could see in which she and Orion reunited and all was well.

All Artemis knew for now, was she needed time and space. She couldn’t remain at Orion’s side and not go mad.

Artemis’ hands tightened around the steering wheel, and she set her eyes on a spot in the horizon. She’d find somewhere safe for them, and Artemis would flee into a forest to grieve for however long she needed. Day, weeks, months.

She only knew she needed to be alone, like an animal tending its wounds. So she would give herself that. She’d failed everyone else, she would not fail Apollo. She was no good to him dead, so survival was her only option.

Artemis would survive.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> UUUGGGGGHHHH!!!!! i'M TRYING TO WRITE I SWEAR!!! It's just not happening and It's driving me mad! Writers block is an apt description too, because I've got the ideas, they're ready to flow, it's just being blocked off before they get to my fingers!  
> I've got a few days off from work coming up here, so hopefully that helps, but no promises! Enjoy the filler I guess.

Two years later

Artemis was restless. She, Apollo, and Hermes, and settled in the Appalachian Mountains, buying a plot of land deep in the forests from an old man for a rather low price. Within a week they’d had a simple house built, planted a large garden, and orchard, and had several animals as well, and only a little of the money Orion had given them left.

So they lived simple lives. Hermes ventured into nearby towns for what they needed, often invisible, never paying. He’d always had sticky fingers, neither Artemis or Apollo could pretend to believe differently.

They worked the land, canning, pickling drying food. Their only source of income was a nearby farmers market, but it was enough for the miniscule monthly payments for the land they lived on. It was enough. They’d suffered enough that to work the land, hunt, cook, and sleep in soft beds was a blessing. It kept all three in good shape, and kept their minds from wandering.

Artemis was restless, but she was safe. She was as happy as she deserved. It should have been enough. Artemis spent every day trying to convince herself it was.

So of course it couldn’t last.

Artemis and Apollo had finished their chores for the day, and had just finished their portions of dinner when Hermes burst through the door.

Without a word to either of them, he’d locked the door, and gone to the other doors and locked them, shuttering and locking the windows from the inside as well before he came back to them. He sat down, and looked at them seriously, “We’re being watched.”

Artemis’ eyes flicked around the room, and Hermes elaborated, “I was in town today, and I realized I was being followed, so I made sure to look at who it was.”

Apollo leaned forward, “Someone from the Divine?”

Hermes nodded, “Eros.”

Artemis’ body went cold, “We need to leave, now.”

Apollo caught her wrist when she went to stand, “Wait. We should discuss this before doing anything.”

He glanced at Hermes, “Did he follow you here?”

Hermes shook his head, “I went invisible when I rounded as corner, and ditched my clothes by the lake to be sure he didn’t have a tracker on me.”

Artemis relaxed a little at that, sitting, “Okay. Yes, we should discuss this.”

Apollo sighed, “How do you think he found us? Does the Divine now know where we are? Can we flee? We can’t fight, he’d be able to turn us against each other.”

Hermes cut her off, “We need to know more before we make a decision.”

Apollo’s eyes darted towards the generator in the corner, where they played music from and charged the only phone they had. The phone Orion gave them for emergencies.

Her stomach dropped, but she swallowed her pride. She’d had time. Perhaps talking to him again wouldn’t tear her apart as it would have then.

So Artemis took several deep breaths, and picked up the phone. Then, she dialed speed dial one.

 

Orion admitted, if only to himself, that he missed Artemis. The first few months had been the hardest. He could feel the bond in the back of his mind, so filled with pain and anger. There was no joy or humor or contentment, not until well after the first year had passed.

But little by little it eased. It took everything he had not to go to her. Especially now. Now, there was more positive emotions than negative, but when the bad did come, it hurt all the more for it.

He couldn’t pretend he didn’t understand a little.

Not completely, never completely, because for all his loss, none of it had been at the hands of someone he trusted. He’d never been hurt by his family, he’d never been hungry because someone had commanded it.

So, while he checked on them from time to time, he kept his distance. He never let them see him. He was glad that they’d found a place that allowed them some piece.

He spent more time than he cared to admit listening in on the bugs in the Divine’s compound. The groups were still at odds, but they were hardly in the midst of all out war. He had no need to wage a war that might spur them to search for his soulmate in places outside of his compound, or endanger Persephone.

He’d sworn to himself if nothing else, she would live. As a way to ease the guilt.

He knew if Artemis had done the same, if she had killed the woman who was a second mother to him, he might had tried to kill her in a fit of rage, regardless of her reason. He could acknowledge she was stronger than him in that sense. He could admit she held a strength and self control he didn’t when she’d forced herself away from him.

He always hoped she’d call. If only because of some emergency, but he longed to hear her voice. He carried the only phone with the number of the one he’d given her with him always, charged it at his bedside each night with his own.

He was still surprised when he received a call.

It had taken a little over two years, but she called him. He’d pinched himself, to be sure he wasn’t dreaming before he answered.

“Artemis?”

Her voice had been even, but the bond had betrayed her nervousness. No hatred though.

“Hello, Orion.”

He swallowed, “How have you been? Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Something bittersweet seeped through the bond, and she answered, “I’ve been better. Healing. Apollo and Hermes too. I’m fine, for the time being. Eros is close. We’re unsure if he’s found us, but we wanted to see if you had heard anything through the bugs.”

Orion thought back, “The last I heard, he had dropped off the map. They believe him dead. If he’s close to you though, it’s no accident.”

Artemis sighed, “I figured. How have you been? Persephone?”

“I’ve been as well as I can be. I’ve very happy to hear your voice. Persephone is well. She and Nahia have been talking about having children.”

Artemis’ breath had hitched, and she said, “I’m glad to speak with you too. I’m sorry it took this for us to speak.”   
Orion felt hope blossom in his chest, “So am I, but I understand it.”

Orion was quiet for a moment, before asking, in spite of himself, “Do you fear you’re unsafe?”

Artemis sighed, “A little, yes.”

“You could come to my compound. My home is always open to you.”

Artemis had gone silent, before saying, “We’d need to prepare things, but I’d like to see you again.”

Orion nodded despite knowing she couldn’t see him, “How long?”

“A week.”

Orion smiled, “I’ll have your rooms prepared.”

They hung up, and Orion sat still for several moments, taking in what had just happened. In a week, he’d see Artemis again.


	28. Chapter 28

Hermes froze when he heard a knock at the door, glancing to where Apollo and Artemis stood by the hearth. He put a finger to his lips and eased towards the door as he gathered his power.

Casting it out, he turned the three of them invisible, and peaked through the window by the door

No one was there.

Hermes glanced to them and shook his head, gesturing them over. They both moved closer on silent hunters feet, and shared a look.

Hermes nodded to the open kitchen window, and all three silently went for it, slipping out into their garden.

Looking around wildly, there was no one. Artemis shook her head when Apollo asked in sign if they should take a moment to gather supplies. She pointed to the forest where they had bug-out bags stashed, and all three began sprinting away.

Hermes screamed when his heart and chest felt like they were being squeezed and he was jerked back. Looking back, he saw Eros behind him, hands fisted in a dark string, pulling,  _ pulling…. _

Hermes felt like his lungs would burst as he gasped for air.

Eros called, “Show yourself, and your deaths will with merciful.”

Hermes grasped the string Eros was grasping, and pulled it back. The feeling of him touching it was wrong enough he wanted to vomit, but it lessened the screaming of his lungs. His power snapped back to him harshly, like snapping a rubber band, except everywhere, even inside him. All three of them went visible.

Artemis and Apollo were upon the man in an instant, weapons drawn. He danced around them for several long moments as Hermes struggled to stand, the breath, to do anything beyond the horrible feeling of that man's hands on his string.

He staggered to his feet just as the man darted forward, clasping something around Artemis’ neck. Her dagger flashed as a click sounded, and Eros dropped to the ground, screaming. Horrified, he stared at where his hands had been in horror, then his gaze turned to where his hands had fallen, severed so cleanly at the wrist there was barely any blood.

He looked up to Artemis, and lunged up, eyes wild. Hermes sprung forward at the same time, certain he was going to rip Artemis’ throat out with his teeth. She was too close to avoid such a blow with as much ease as he’d have preferred.

As it was, he didn’t do any such thing, in his teeth, he took a silver strand, one Hermes recognised from the night years past when he’d threatened to replaced Orion. Artemis screamed as his jaw worked, and Apollo’s blades flashed out as Artemis took her thread.

Hermes thought for a moment that the thread had been snapped, and his heart froze, because that would surely be as bad or worse than the death of a soulmate. He hobbled forward, and put a hand to Artemis’ shoulder. She was shaking.

He looked to her hands, where the string was. It was still intact, and he sighed in relief. It was frayed, looking fragile and easily snapped, but the thread was not broken.

Apollo kicked Eros’ disembodied head, hurrying over, “What did he do? Artemis? Hermes?”

Hermes shook his head, “I’m fine. He had mine, but he hadn’t the time to do anything with it before he was dodging your attacks, nor the same animosity towards me as he has towards you both.”

Apollo’s eyes wandered to Artemis, and widened when his eyes landed on the strand of silver craddled in her palm.

He stepped forward, eyeing it warily, “Is that…?”

Artemis nodded, and she sounded strangled and weak when she said, “My bond with Orion. He nearly tore it.”

Apollo said firmly, “We need to get to him now, so you can fix this.”

Artemis opened her mouth, probably to protest, but Hermes cut her off, “Nope. You’re pride isn’t worth dying over, cuz.”

Artemis nodded, and clutched the thread tightly in her fingers. Apollo glanced between his sister and the spot their bug out-bags remained.

Hermes soothed him, “I’ll make sure she gets to the car. We need to bring everything we have with us. He was branded. They’ll sense his death and follow the breadcrumbs to see what he found. We can’t defend against the full might of the Divine.”

Apollo nodded, and ran for the house. Hermes settled Artemis against a tree, shoving down his worry at how glassy her eyes had gone, and hurrying to retrieve their bug out bags. He’d just made it to her side, when he heard a sound that sent chills up his spine and made his stomach drop.

Or, to be more specific, three sounds at once, the howl of a wolf, the scream of a bird of prey, and the snarl of a panther. The signature of Diana and Pan on a hunt.

Artemis seemed to come to, if just a little at that, stumbling to her feet and scowling at the sun. She only had her blades that weren’t moonlight in the day, and she hated that.

Apollo burst from the house, sprinting to them, “Drop two of the bags, take Artemis, and run!”   
Hermes didn’t bother to question it. Artemis went to protest, taking a step or two before swaying. Hermes rolled his eyes, slung the bag across his back, and scooped her up, sprinting into the forest.

Apollo soon caught up, scowling, “Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!”

Hermes forced a laugh, “Mood, dude.”

At Apollo’s scowl he shrugged, “Accident.”

At a howl, closer, they both jumped and hurried faster. Right, no time to laugh, they were being hunted.

Hermes shoved away thoughts of worry for how pale Artemis was growing, the metal around her neck they’d yet to be able to look at, or wishes for home and safety. All he knew was fear and adrenaline. All he knew was running. He could afford nothing else when two members of the Divine hunted them with all manner of beasts to their deaths.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next few chapters will be focused on whats going on with Orion, and what's going on in his head with all this. I'm also going to start trying to make the chapters longer, so lets see how that goes :) The next one should be up sunday

Artemis was growing weaker by the hour, and Apollo wanted to scream to the heavens. As it was, he ran, steering him and his small family through streams and forests, through caves and tunnels, doing everything he could to slow pursuit.

As it was, they were doing alright. They covered miles faster than he thought they would. Still, he was anxious when they reached their first bug out location, a cave that Artemis had burrowed into the sheer face of a river bed surrounded by pines, flowers, and berries. Perfect for throwing off their scent. The hole was not a lot, a nest of blankets, hoard of non-perishables, and a small camping stove with enough gas for a few days.

Apollo stayed long enough to help Hermes bed Artemis down before leaving him to prepare food and take stock as he checked their trail.

Backtracking, he hid their tracks, and ran to the closest ridge to look out. He sucked in a breath when he spotted the pair and their pack in the valley below.

Surrounded by lions, tigers, panthers, wolves, and dozens of other monstrous creatures, it was blatantly obvious, they’d come for no reason but to kill.

He forced himself to his limits as he crossed to the opposite side of the ridge that they were on, and began fabricating a false trail to a stream and beyond the opposite way they were heading. Once that was done, he picked some medical herbs, bagged them, and placed them so it looked like they’d been dropped. He started a fire, and allowed it to burn for 20 minutes before dousing it in a plume of steam, and moving as quickly as he could up the trail he’d forged, and into the stream.

Once in the water, Apollo stuck close to the shore and reeds and made his way to the BOL as quickly as he could. It had taken hours, but that trick could buy them days.

Once he slid into the hole, he asked Hermes in a hushed tone, “How is she?”

Hermes shook his head, “That collar Eros put on her? It’s Hephystus’ work. It I had to guess, it probably has some of Nosoi, Mnemosyne, and Algea's powers in it, based on her reaction, but I can’t know. I haven’t found a way to get it off her.”

Apollo looked to Artemis. She was curled up, eyes glazed over with pain, whimpering and twitching. When he put a had to her cheek, he found her burning up. 

“Damn it, we need to find a car.”

Hermes nodded, “If we can get to town, I can have one in five minutes straight. But we’re at least another days travel from the nearest town, and that's not including having to stop for rest and how throwing off pursuit might slow us.”

Apollo took the energy bar offered to him, “Artemis could use her bond to get Orion here if Eros hadn’t frayed it. I don’t know enough about how the bonds and strings work to feel safe asking her to strain it now though.”

 

Hermes leaned back, “Wanna take bets on how long until he comes looking?”

Apollo sighed, giving him a look.

Hermes gave a look of pure innocence and promptly ruined it by batting his eyelashes, “What? I was only with them for a day or so, and even I saw how smitten he was. Artemis might have needed two years to get her head on straight, but I doubt he needed two seconds. If she isn’t there by a week, he’ll come looking.”

Apollo shook his head, “I don’t think we have a week. And even if we did, we don’t know what kind of state he's in with his and Artemis’ bond that close to snapping. We can’t be sure how much of Artemis’ state is due to the bond, and how much to the collar. Orion might be as badly off as she is right now. And if that’s the case, he’s in no state to come running after us.”

Hermes pursed his lips, “True. God I wish Persephone was here. She was always more fun than either of you, and she’d be able to put Pan and Diana on their asses in half a second flat.”

Apollo shot him a dirty look, “We’re plenty fun, and we’d be able to do the same if Artemis wasn’t KO’d like this.”

Hermes rolled his eyes, conseeding, “You can be fun when you’re in a good mood. Like this? Nah. That's what me and Sephie are for, to break up the tension. But, you’re stuck with just me. And maybe, but that fight would be too hard fought for anyone’s comfort.”

Apollo looked to the sky, then sighed again.

“We need to move again soon. Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

Hermes eyed him, before nodding and laying down.

As Apollo gazed out the mouth of the tunnel, he bit back another sigh of worry.

 

 

 

Artemis woke with a gasp, rolling to her side and she coughed and wheezed. The ground was dry and gritted beneath her as she sucked in desperate breaths of oxygen.

Slowly, she regained her  gazed out at a sea of nothingness. As far as the eye could see, there was only ash and dust and sand.

Artemis’ throat burned, dry and scratchy. Distantly, a part of her catalogued her physical state as she stood. She was hungry and thirsty, she hadn’t eaten or drank in quite some time if her body was to be believed. She ached everywhere, but no cuts she could see or feel, and no serious injuries.

Looking around, turning in a circle, Artemis cursed. Nothing was familiar. There was nothing to look familiar. She was as in the middle of no whereas she’d ever been.

Licking her lips, Artemis looked to the sky. It was day, hot and bright, the sun directly overhead, so no power for her. It was a new moon tonight, according to her internal moon calendar.

Taking stock, Artemis bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. No pack. No food, no water, no supplies. She had only a loose tank top, a pair of basketball shorts, and a pair of shitty sandals that were falling apart to her name. She recognised none of them.

Swallowing thickly, Artemis turned again, eyes darting across the horizon, looking for anything other than more dust and sand. She doubted she’d survive for more than a day or so without water as dehydrated as she was.

There was nothing, just endless dunes. Breathing deeply, Artemis tried to pick up the scent of water, trees, anything that might have been out of view but within reach. Nothing came to her.

Sighing, she started forward, trudging along the planes in a random direction. As she walked, Artemis though back, trying to remember how she got here, and what had happened.

There was…. Nothing. Her mind a blank slate. Something deep inside her told her that wasn’t right. She had people she loved, family, a history. Her life too hard fought to simply forget it all.

She frowned, she knew things. Her name, that none of this was right, that she was thirsty, but her mind was blank of memories.

As she walked, she was hit by memories, like a trickle of water escaping a hastily constructed dam.

Artemis was little, sitting at a table, a small, chubby hand wrapped around a colored pencil, scribbling away at a piece of art. She had her head down, pretending not to hear her mother fighting with Aunt Hecate in the front hall.

“She’d just a child! Gaia surely can’t have need of her for years to come!”

Hecate sniffed, “It was foreseen by Moirai herself that she would be detrimental to the future of the Divine, for better or worse. Gaia must see to her growth. To trim back unnecessary branches.”

Leto cried incredulously, “She is not a plant for Gaia to grow and pluck when she sees fit. She is a child, my child! Neither she or Apollo will begin their training until they’re 13, at the earliest!”

Hecate hissed, “The boy was not assigned the same importance. And we are not asking for your permission, Leto. We are warning you.”

The door slammed shut, and the house was quiet. Artemis slipped from her chair and walked into the living room. Her mother sat at the bottom of the stairs, head in her hands, shoulders shaking with tears.

The little girl walked closer, wrapping her arms around her mother.

Neither said anything, just held each other. Apollo wandered downstairs soon after Artemis had come into the front hall, and Leto swept them both up in her arms. Apollo had tried to ask what was the matter, but she kissed his head and stayed quiet.

Artemis blinked the scene away, though the face of her mother and little brother were burned into her mind.

What had that all been about? The Divine? Training? Trimming branches? She was so very confused. What had her life been that there had been that sort of insidious conflict over her future before she had even been 10 years old?

Her thoughts were  sidelined by another scene forming in her mind.

Artemis was older, maybe 12, sitting in a white, sterile room. Tears streamed down her face, and her chest burned, as did her back.

Glancing over, she watched Hestia walked over, round face soft as she placed jars of salves and bandages next to the cot Artemis was perched on.

Hestia sighed as she looked at the brand that was still hot upon her chest.

“Don’t worry, little one. It won’t hurt for much longer.”

Artemis nodded, and Hestia glanced towards the hall before giving Artemis a cup, whispering with a wink, “This will take the edge off.”

Artemis began drinking the tea as Hestia smoothing jellies and creams across the burn, taking care to be gentle.

Artemis finished the tea, and her eyes felt heavy.

Hestia smoothed back her hair, and Artemis leaned into the tender touch, “Let me take a look at your back, and you can go home and rest.

Artemis nodded again, turning to present her whip marks to the healer. Hestia sucked in a breath, and washed her hands for the third time since Artemis had been brought to her before cleaning the wounds with a cloth.

Hestia asked as she worked, “Have you finished any interesting books recently, puer Luna?”

Artemis shook her head, saying softly as Hestia smoothed a cool cream across the lashes, “No. I’ve been too busy with training to read very much recently.”

Hestia tutted, “I don’t know what they’re thinking, working a little girl like you to the bone.”

The motherly woman began bandaging the scars and said softly, “I’ll make sure they don’t bother you until those lashes are healed up at least, little one. Rest until then.”

Artemis nodded, turning to hug the healer.

“Thank you, aunt Hestia.”

She nodded, kissing the girl’s cheek.

“Now, let’s get you home.”

Hestia rested a hand on her shoulder as they walked towards the house where Leto waited.

Later than night, Artemis listened from the hall as Hestia and Leto spoke in the living room.

“Why was she whipped Hestia? What happened?”

Hestia sighed, “It was needless and cruel. It was only because Gaia expects too much of a small child.”

Leto asked again, “What happened?”

The healed answered, “Gaia had her whipped because she cried when she was branded.”

Leto began pacing, and sounded on the verge of hysterics when she said, “I was wrong to stay, wasn’t I Hestia? I should have taken the twins and left as soon as Aeneas was killed.”

Hestia hissed at that, “Don’t speak like that! If they hear you speak like that you’ll be killed and Artemis and Apollo will be alone!”

Leto answered, “I know that! The only reason I’ve yet to take my children and flee is because I know I’d never evade them for long. And now I never can.”

Artemis peeked into the sitting room to see Hestia hugging her mother, “You’ve done all you can to shield them, Leto. I doubt anyone could do better in such circumstances.”

Artemis crept back up to her room to avoid hearing more.

Artemis gazed down at her feet, watching as her sandals kicked up small plumes of sand with each step, the grains filtering back through the wind to hit her calves, tickling the bare skin.

These memories made her nervous, made her certain that someone could come for her. She was not certain that someone would come to help her.

She walked for hours, so long that her legs began to ache and the sun set. Once darkness had fully taken over the dessert, Artemis walked to the base of the largest dune in sight and sat. It wasn’t much as far as cover went, but it was better than nothing.

Artemis swallowed thickly as she sat, reaching out to draw in the sand at her feet. Artemis started as she noticed her arms were bare. Artemis frowned, turning her gaze to her shoulder. Wasn’t something supposed to be there? She was meant to have markings on her arms, her shoulders, her chest and back and stomach.

Artemis leaned back into the dunes and scowled at the sky.

The expanse of darkness was broken by dots of starlight, but there was no moon. She could make out where it was, even if it looked no different from the rest of the sky.

She sighed, closing her eyes and breathing in the clean night air. The sand was still warm at her back, and she was struck with a scene as she began to drift to sleep.

She was laying on her side, her head resting against a solid chest, arms around her waist. She was calm, happy, drifting between wakefulness and sleep. She’d felt a hand tracing her skin, following dark lines across her back and shoulder(the marks that were missing?). When the hand drifted to brush hair from her face, Artemis had tilted her head to kiss it.

Her eyes had opened, and she’d met a set of startling hazel eyes as she’d kissed the man’s palm. His expression had been soft, so adoring it had robbed her of breath.

Artemis opened her eyes, scrambling up. That face. The mark. They were connected. Her breath shuddered, an intense feeling of wanting sweeping her up. 

Artemis shook her head, and began jogging forward. She didn’t know who that man was, only that she missed him far too much to be parted for much longer. She couldn’t remember enough about herself or her life to know much, but something deep inside of her insisted this man wouldn’t(couldn’t?) turn on her. 

She had to get out of this damned dessert and find him.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this is spinning wildly out of my control at this point if you haven't noticed, but, on the bright side my writers block has eased up and I THINK i know where I'm going with this now, but we'll see.

Orion felt like he’d been dropped from a skyscraper then run over by 6 cement trucks in a row and somehow survived. Every muscle ached, and his head felt like it was in fog so thick it was swimming in it, and like it was repeatedly being hit with a sledge hammer.

With a groan, Orion opened his eyes, glancing around. He frowned, sitting up as he shook sleep from his brain.

He didn’t recognise his surroundings, but it was night, the air was so thick with fog he could barely see his feet sprawled out before him. The ground under him was a familiar sensation, one he recognised from running into the woods and falling asleep many times as a child, the odd softness of rotting leaves and grasses tempered with hard ridges and lumps of rocks and gnarled roots. A forest floor.

He scrambled upright, eyes darting. This wasn’t right. He had been in his bed last night, at the order of a healer, Nahia, and Persephone when he’d come down with the worst sickness he’d ever had, throwing up until there was nothing left but bile as he wretched, a fever so high he knew Persephone had thought of dragging him to a hospital by his hair despite his protests, and every inch of his body had ached, feeling like it was freezing and burning at once. The sickness seemed to have passed though, he felt fine now, if confused.

Looking around, he grumbled at how dark it was, too dark to make out anything.

He took a deep breath, and frowned, looking around again. It was quiet. Way, way too quiet. No birds, no bugs, no squirrels or raccoons or possums. No wind in the trees or creek gurgling. Just complete and utter silence. Not good.

He summoned his power, imagined his home, his bed, safe and warm and away from a dark, silent, unearthly forest. Nothing. His power rose in him, building higher and higher, and falling before the wave could crest.

Orion felt his heart pick up the pace a little. His mother had always told him that as long as the little sounds of nature droned on, nothing too dangerous could be out and about. But when even the winds themselves fell quiet, fell things crept through the trees, and all he could do was run and hide. There were far more dangerous things in this world than wolves or bears or boars. Things even more dangerous than a maddened gifted. Things dark and twisted and wrong.

Slowly, he stood glancing around.

He could see nothing but fog and darkness, and his gut twisted.

Quietly, oh so quietly, he took a step forward, inching through the forest as silently as he could, eyes darting, ears straining.

He nearly ran into several trees, but he was making progress, slowly but surely.

Orion froze when he heard a distant scream, so high and shrill it couldn’t have come from anything earthly. His breath froze in his chest when it echoed again, closer, and he glanced around, sidling closer to a tree and pressing close to it.

God no, this was just a dream, a weird, bad dream that had to have some link to his soulmate being gifted with abilities of the night. His life had only gotten weirder since Artemis came into it, and surely this was another(belated) aspect of that.

Heaving a breath out, Orion turned, looking into the forest. And there, just in his view from the mist, was an old woman, a crone, dark knowing eyes gazing at him. He startled back, tripping over his own feet. He looked up when he landed on his ass, but the woman was gone.

He gasped, scrambling up.

The laugh of a young girl sounded near-by, and a figure darted through the forest in his periphery.

Orion whirled to try and keep her in sight, and found himself face to face with a middle aged woman, the crone and girl beside her.

Orion recoiled sharply, eyes darting. The crone watched him with knowing eyes, gaze filled with wisdom he couldn’t comprehend. Tired and world weary but nowhere near ready to give up.

The middle aged woman(the mother, his mind supplied, some of the myths and legends of his childhood rushing back) looked at him with a mild expression, eyes soft but full of steel. The maiden looked amused, lips quirked in a smile. Her eyes glittered with myschif, and she couldn’t have been older than 11.

They opened their mouths and spoke, though there was only one voice, it was somehow young and old, knowing and innocent, so rich and full his ears rang.

“The natural order is slipping.”

Orion blinked, “You speak of the Divine?”

“Most of us have long since abandoned this world to its fate. Act to reign in those of your world, or there will no longer be one.”

Orion opened his mouth to speak, to ask, but before he could, a flock of crows dove from the sky, so thick for a split second that he couldn't see them. When the flock cleared, the trio was gone.

Orion turned, intent on walking until he found something, and found himself staring at a dark, cloaked figure. The figure drifted closer, before throwing it’s head back, revealing a woman with knotted dark hair, and red ringed eyes.

Tears streamed down her face endlessly, and as Orion watched, she screamed. She shrieked so loudly, filled with such grief and unearthly cadences that Orion’s vision danced, and he fell to his knees.

He looked upon the woman screaming for a future loss with fear as he lost consciousness. All he could do as his mind drifted, was pray this was just some nightmare.

 

To his shock, Orion didn’t loose consciousness. Just as he was wavering on the edge of wakefulness, the screaming stopped, and the ground vanished bellow him.

Orion yelped as he dropped, snapping awake as he hit the ground with a thud.

He groaned again, standing quickly.

Looking over his surrounding, Orion frowned up at the blazing sun. It was a hot day. And he was in a dessert. Orion sighed, and began walking towards the tallest dune he could see to get a vantage point.

Upoin reached the top of the rise, Orion squinted, looking out across the sands. In the distance, he saw a figure walking. The path before then was covered in tracks. It looked like they’d been walking in a circle, from the base of one dune to another to another and so on and so forth until they reached the same one and followed the same path.

Orion squinted, shading his eyes against the sun, and gaped. The figure was Artemis.

He was running before he had consciously made the decision, tripping over his own feet and the loose sands in his hurry, sending him sliding and tumbling down the slope.

He paid his misstep no mind, scrambling up and running to intercept Artemis.

She stopped when she saw him, eyes narrowing for a moment, before widening. She took a step towards him, before her legs wobbled.

He had reached her before she’d made to make another step, sweeping her up in his arms and enfolding her close.

“Artemis! Thank god I found you!”

He pulled back, cupping her face. He wanted so badly to kiss her, to feel the slide of her full lips against his, but held back. He couldn’t be certain she’d want him too.

He stroked her cheeks, gazing at her in much the same way a man dying of thirst would gaze at a river just in reach.

She smiled, eyes soft, no mask, no hatred, no bitterness, just innocence and blind trust that had him reeling back.

“Are you alright?”

She shook her head, and he noticed how dry her skin was, her lips cracked, eyes bloodshot.

Her knees began collapsing, so he folded them both down to sit, holding her close.

“What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

He realized with a sickening jolt he couldn’t feel her in the bond, and looked on in horror as she croaked in a raspy voice, “Who are you?”

 

Orion sat at the base of a sand dune under a moonless sky with Artemis.

“You don’t remember anything?” Orion reaffirmed, “Not who I am? Your… Family situation? How you got here?”

Artemis shrugged, “I’ve had bits and pieces come to me. The most I can say is that my family situation seems not good, and that I know you can’t turn on me, though I don’t know why.”

Orion sighed, and had to remind himself again not to trace where her mark should be. He really, really didn’t like that it had vanished, but he could do nothing about it.

He also could do nothing about Artemis’ thirst, her hunger, and how weak she was growing. He felt useless. He hated feeling useless.

Sighing, he petted her hair, “Well, you’re not wrong.”

He was so tired, and with Artemis so near all he wanted to do was curl up with her and sleep, but apparently, that wasn’t an option. As he contemplated rest, an arrow thudded into the sand just above his head.

Orion’s head shot up as he yanked himself and Artemis to their feet, scanning the horizon, trying to see who had shot at them. Artemis gave no such pause, grasping his wrist and dragging him around to the other side of the hill of sand.

She glared at the dessert with new-found malic, hissing, “Stupid sands. We’re fish in a barrel if they’re atop a dune!”

Orion nodded, looking around. Creeping up the side of the sand, he peeked over it, ducking down just in time to avoid another arrow.

Artemis was beside him, peeking over the ridge for a moment before dropping, “Four people. Two wield bows. That’s all I can make out.”

Orion risks another look, and swore, “We don’t know where we are, and they have us pinned.”

Artemis shook her head, “I don’t think this is real.”

Orion looked to her sharply, “Not real?”

Artemis leaned back, “Not in the ‘if we get hurt it won’t matter’ sense, but this place seems…. Fake, manufactured for a purpose.”

Orion chewed on that, “Let me try something.”

Orion summoned his power, the wave building and building. It took far more work than he was used to, but he did manage to disappear and reappear on Artemis’ other side.

She jumped, and Orion grinned, taking her hand. He took another deep breath, pulled his abilities up again, and teleported.

Orion reappeared on the banks of a river. It was day here, maybe 9 or 10, the sun hot, but a breeze easily keeping it from overwhelming them. Endless seas of tall, green grass waved around them, the edge of the water dotted with trees. Orion could recognise three species at a glance, the bows thick with fruit. He hadn’t the time to look for much else before Artemis threw herself down at the bank, bringing greedy handfuls of water to her lips.

Orion didn’t dare disturb her. They hadn’t a way to purify the water, and even if he did, with the way this plane was affecting his abilities and much else, he figured the water would either be pure of contaminates or poison.

He had known maddening thirst before, and Artemis was clever. If she would rather fall to poison than thirst, he wouldn’t begrudge her that decision over her own fate.

So he kneeled beside her and quenched his own thirst. Once satisfied, he stood, turning his eyes to look across the planes. He saw no one. But that didn’t mean they weren’t there. He felt eyes on him, unblinking, studying, collecting information for when they chose to make their move, whatever that move may be.

Orion twisted, eyes scanning, slowly, carefully combing and dissecting his surroundings. Still nothing. Ignoring his pricking nape for now, he turned back to Artemis, finding her laying on the bank, heedless of the mud. One hand was in the water, scooping a handful, letting it run through her fingers, then lowering her hand to do it again.

She was soaked, hair knotted, wet, and dirty across the ground, but she didn’t look like she’d keel over from thirst any more.

He walked over, sitting beside her.

“Water’s such a wonderful thing,” She mused, “I was wondering that desert for days before you came. I could feel my limbs shutting down, my mouth and eyes going so dry to blink hurt. To die of thirst would have been a terrible fate.”

Orion nodded, “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Her eyes opened and she looked at him, “You sound like you’re talking from experience.”

He nodded, “When I was a teenager I got lost in a series of caves near my home. I was lost there without food, drink, companionship, or light for nearly two weeks. I almost died. I’m a little shocked I wasn’t driven mad.”

She grasped his hand, “I thought you could teleport?”

He shook his head, “I need to see. It was so dark I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. The kind of darkness where you can close your eyes and there’s no difference. I only survived because my mother would have never stopped looking until she found me.”

Artemis squeezed his hand, “It sounds like she loves you very much. I’m glad you have someone like that in your corner.”

Orion nodded, “I was blessed with the two most loving parents one could ask for, and two brothers and a sister I trust without question. The years have seen us drift a bit, but we’ve worked to mend the rifts that have formed.”

Artemis asked him, “Would you tell me more about them?”

Orion smiled, “I’ll tell you anything you’d like you would like to know.”

Artemis cocked her head, “I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

Orion smirked, “But, first we must both get clean. We’re both filthy, and we should bathe while we have access to running water.”  
Artemis threw back her head, and laughed.

Orion grinned, and stood, wading into the slow-moving water without bothering to undress. She grinned, running after him. He squawked indignantly when an arc of water hit him, turning to see Artemis smiling innocently at him.

He brought his hand back, then skimmed the surface of the water before him, hitting her with a quick retaliatory force.

She danced back, laughing, face open and care-free. They both quickly became engrossed in a splash battle, running towards and away from each other and mercilessly soaking each other as they laughed, playing and having fun as they’d never been permitted to before.

On an impulse Orion dove for Artemis after he began to tire of the game, arms outstretched.

She whirled out of the way, and dove into the water, catching his ankles and sweeping his feet out from under him.

Orion scrambled dramatically upright, spluttering and gasping exaggeratedly as he put a hand to his chest, “Betrayed, oh how will I go on!”

He splashed back, and Artemis erupted into giggles, swiping hair from her face. Orion grinned, and got to his feet. He began edging closer to her, eyes dancing with mischief, and Artemis flashed him a dazzling smile, standing her ground.

When Orion lunged with the speed of a snake, she had only the chance to yelp and laugh before she was over his shoulder as he bounded out of the river. He went to an outcropping of smooth stone, depositing her there and sitting beside her. He left for a moment to retrieve some fruit to stave off the worst of their hunger before returning. They ate apples and pears and blackberries until juice ran down their chins and their bellies were blissfully full.

She sighed, and leaned against him, face utterly content. All was quiet as they basked in the warmth of the sun that had gone from mid-morning to afternoon in the course of their fun and meal. All was peaceful and quiet in a way that was strange but welcome to both, until the grass across the river began to rustle and shake as something approached.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohh boy, shit's working it's way up now, and none of you will like what I have planned. Pretty sure I know who's gonna die next.

Artemis was on her feet quickly, eyes darting for something to use as a weapon. She came up with a rock. Still better than nothing. 

She stepped in front of Orion, who had tensed, moving into a defensive position.

When a man leaped from the brush, Artemis frowned. He looked familiar. He had long blond hair, bright blue eyes, and tanned skin, looking like a cali-surfer stereotype. He was as tall as she was, and had a gold bow and a quiver at his thigh.

She frowned, trying to place him. She knew him from somewhere, she knew it.

As he stormed closer, not slowing as he crossed the river, Artemis realized with a jolt he was her brother, the same little boy from her early memories all grown up and looking enraged.

Artemis relaxed a little, stepping forward, she asked, “Apollo?”

Orion caught her elbow, hissing, “This place is all wrong, he may be as well.”

It seemed he was right, as the moment Artemis spoke Apollo roared his rage, and strung his bow. He took aim at Artemis and let it fly. Artemis shoved herself and Orion to the ground, but she was hit.

She gaped at the arrow in her shoulder, and with a groan, snapped the shaft just passed the entry point and scrambled to her feet.

Orion was there, grasping her hand to drag her along as they dove into the grasses and ran.

Artemis yelped when she heard metal zinging through the air, and dove to the ground as a blade flew over her head. For a single, breath stealing instant she thought Orion had been hit, but then he was next to her in the grass. Together they slithered through the long stalks as motionlessly as possible until they were a safe distance, and waited

She looked him over as they lay there, holding their breaths and praying her brother would continue to run, to think they still fled.

She wanted to cry, she didn’t remember much about anything, but she knew in her heart she loved her brother, so why was he hunting them? What was happening?

Moving so close to Orion she was all but on top of him, she breathed in his ear, “Why is he hunting us? Am I enemies with my brother?”

He shook his head minutely, “I don’t know.”

Artemis flinched, and they held their breath as Apollo called from somewhere nearby, “Where are you, Artie?”

He sounded amused and angry at once.

He continued, “When I find you, anything our family would do to you will look merciful in comparison.”

Artemis bit the inside of her cheek as the rustling of grass grew close, pressing herself as close to the ground as she could. The blonde passed by without seeing the pair, too close for comfort as he continued.

“I’ll make you pay for everything you’ve ever done Artemis, good or no. Your very existence is a pestilence.”

Artemis flinched, and began easing back through the grass, away from Apollo. Then everything just…. Changed.

The world around Orion and Artemis began flickering, shifting, and suddenly, Artemis and Apollo were in a warehouse, crouched behind a stack of boxes, as Apollo walked through the echoing room.

Everything was dark, covered in shadow, no lights came from inside or outside of the building.

Artemis couldn’t hold in her gasp of shock at their new surroundings, and Apollo whirled, turning to them.

In an instant, he’d fired two shots, both of them missed as Artemis yanked Orion to his feet and the pair sprinted around a corner.

Artemis nearly plowed face-first into a shelving unit at least 15 feet high that was housing razor-sharp blades of all things before jerking to a halt. As it was, she grasped a large flat blade as they ran.

Her shoulder was burning, bleeding, and her arm on that side felt like it was way, way too heavy, and now the blade she’d grabbed was slicing open her palm and fingers as she squeezed it.

Artemis internally cursed herself as she and Orion darted through halls and ducked around shelves, Apollo never far behind. She didn’t know why she’d grabbed a weapon, he was her brother, she couldn’t use it to hurt him.

However, when he shot at her again, Artemis instinctually brought the blade up, and the arrow glanced off, so it wasn’t completely useless. After rounding a corner, Artemis spotted a machine up ahead, a sliding door at it’s side open. Glancing to the other machines, it wasn’t obvious that the doors opened.

So she dragged Orion inside of the machine, slid the door shut, and backed deep into  the internal workings of the thing as she held her breath.

Her heart was thundering in her ears so loud Artemis was worried Apollo would hear it, and tears began to silently fall down her face as her body suddenly froze up in fear.

Orion next to her looked like he wasn’t doing much better, and she offered him the hand of her now-numb arm to squeeze.

And in the dark, they waited silently for Apollo’s footsteps to pass.

 

Apollo hated this. He hated sitting in a hole in the ground less than 20 miles from the last one, that his sister had painstakingly created in case of the worst as she lay unconscious for the 9th day in a row, wasting away.

He hated watching Hermes’ gentle teasing slowly come to a stop as they covered less and less ground each day and their hunters came closer and closer to catching them. He hated the slow settle of the the realization that they were alone like a thick mist over a bog.

He hated the way fear crept in as they slowly stopped believing that Orion would come. He hated being helpless as his cousin was broken by fear and hunger, and he hated watching his sister starve.

He hated the Divine.

 

Apollo squinted as he slowly inched out of their hidey hole, eyes burning in the sunlight. That had never happened before. The sun was his power, his source of strength, he needed it as much as any plant, more even, as his sister did the moon.

He had to remind himself that to feel betrayed that his eyes had to adjust was silly. The sun was a ball of gas almost 93 million miles away, it couldn’t betray him. Still, it had never happened before. Most likely because he’d never spent 4 days crammed into a hole in the ground that's entrance was covered with a growth of roses, sweet alyssum, and jasmine that smelled so strongly it leaked passed the stone door it hid.

When they’d first moved into their new life, Artemis had ensured they’d know where each of the safe houses she’d set up were, but even if he hadn’t remembered, she ensured he knew what plants to look for, oak and apple trees, white heather, may flowers, yellow roses, friendship ivy were the most common, one or two being planted near a safe house, with the larger ones havin 3 or more. This one had Jasmine, an oak and apple tree close by, and white heather growing in spurts for a few yards in any direction. It looked incredibly unassuming if he hadn’t been hunting for those very signs. He knew the divine didn’t know what signs to look for, but that they would be there. He could only prey Pan and Diana hadn’t suddenly become eager to know about plant meanings since they’d last seen them.

This was one of the larger, more well stocked BOL’s Artemis had put together, three decent sized rooms she’d reinforced with stone and wood, with a wood stove that sent the smoke out a pipe three miles closer to the nearest town, a supply of wood, food, and water, and a small bathroom with a tub and toilet. Apollo was so very grateful his sister had taken it personally into her head to equip a BOL every 50 miles with running water and enough food for more than a day or two.

They’d holed up for nearly 2 weeks, waiting and hoping that their hunters would pass them by, and every two or three days he crept out to look for Diana and Pan.

They’d cooked all they needed the first day they’d arrived, determined not to make more smoke for the Divine’s agents to follow, but the food was running out now.

So now, Apollo crept from their hole, leaving Hermes and Artemis safe.

Not safe, something inside him hissed, not with them that close. If he failed, they were starving and hurt and vulnerable without offensive powers, one pistol with only 6 bullets and a knife. Artemis was down for the count for god knows how long, and Hermes was no master fighter.

So he was quiet as he climbed the thick branches of an oak tree, getting as high as he could.

He kept small as he watched. He saw no smoke, no shivering trees. He heard no talking or branches snapping.

Slowly his head swiveled, and he began to descend the tree. Once on the ground, Apollo moved forward.

God he’d missed the sun. He hadn’t realized how dependent he had been, not until now when he’d begun growing, weaker, more lethargic, less able to think or focus or move. Now, it was all coming back, limbs coursing with strength, each breath seeming to streamline power, hot and intense into him.

Despite Hermes invisibility, he’d had to be the one to come out and scout, they couldn’t risk him being down for the count too.

His footsteps were silent and light as he moved, listening, pausing at the scurrying of a squirrel or a rustle of the wind in a bush.

Just as he began to believe they’d gone, just as he began to hope they’d a bit of breathing room, he heard something that made his stomach drop, and dread course through his veins.

“Well hello, Apollo. We’ve been looking for you.”

Slowly, Apollo turned.

There, leaning against a tree, Pan stood, gazing at him dispassionately. Two wolves were crouched at his side, fur bristling, mouths foaming.

As Apollo watched, they began to growl and advance.


	32. Chapter 32

Artemis gazed at the sliding door of the machine, and wanted to vomit. For hours she and Orion had sat there, quiet, listening as Apollo’s light footsteps had echoed across the wearhouse again and again as he searched.

Now, he had found them, evident by the slow, steady tapping of metal on metal. She and Orion were holding the door shut against any attempt to open it by Apollo, but she felt weak and shaky with fear.

A shiver went up her spine when he laughed.

“Oh Artie, how long can you keep this up? I know where you are now, I’ve got you pinned. You either face and fight me, or stay in there and you both can starve to death until you’re too weak to hold the door closed and I get it open.”

Artemis bit her lip, and wondered if she’d ever starved before. Had hunger ever been so sharp in her stomach she couldn’t breath? When she started shaking and all she could think of was food would it be something her body was familiar with?

Artemis jolted when he slammed a hand to the metal, denting it not two inches from her face. Glancing to Orion she mouthed ‘Teleport?’. He laid a hand over hers and closed his eyes. For a moment darkness danced before her eyes, then nothing. He shook his head, a stricken look of panic across his face.

“This is my world!” Apollo snarled through the door, “Don’t try to use power again.”   
Artemis flinched, eyes darting as she desperately tried to think her way out of this.

“You’re a coward to sit in there and waste away! Come face me!”

Orion’s hand moved so it was flush with hers as his shoulders bumped her shoulder.

“It’s alright,” She whispered to him, eyeing the dent hesitantly before murmuring, “On the count of three, we open the doors, and I’ll distract him. Find a way out and come back for me.”

Orion hissed angrily, “What, no, that’s madness, I can-”

Artemis cut him off by throwing open the machine door and lunging at her brother, blade left behind.

 

Persephone was at her wits end. Apollo, Artemis, and Hermes had dropped all communication, and Orion was sick, eyes sightless, mind wandering as he tossed and turned in his fever-dreams. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

Nahia watched her wife pace with dark, worried eyes.

“We need to find my cousins,” Persephone finally said, turning to face Nahia.

The other woman stood, cupping Persephone’s cheek with one hand as they locked eyes, “Then we will. Tell me what you fear has happened?”

Persephone instantly relaxed into her wife’s touch, tension flooding out of her in a rush, her mind focusing.

“I fear Eros has found them and that’s why Orion is so sick. I fear they are running for their lives with no way to ask us for aid. I fear they will die.”

Nahia wrapped her arms around Persephone, “I’ll ask for anyone who is gifted with searching in the compound to come to us immediately.”

Persephone nodded, leaning down to kiss Nahia softly. After a moment, they parted, and Nahia slipped from the room.

Persephone sat and thought of all that could have happened, and she desperately tried to come up with a plan of some kind.

 

Apollo slowly backed away from the wolves, “Pan, come, let us talk about this.”

Pan snorted, “What do we have to talk about? Gaia wants you dead and my beasts are hungry.”

Apollo pulled at the light. Nothing, no weapons, no spark. He was still too weak after so long underground.

Pan canted his head, “Where are Artemis and Hermes? I may be able to convince Gaia to allow you to live in exile if you tell me.”

Apollo knew he wouldn’t. Pan was one of the most bloody-thirsty members of the Divine. He reveled in the kill. He looked innocent, big blue eyes and blonde curls, but inside, he was as rabid as any of his beasts.

Still, Apollo nodded, edging back, hands up in the signal of surrender, “Okay, okay, just make the wolves relax, and I’ll lead you to them.”

He nodded, and Apollo edged backwards as the wolves fell back a little, still growling and bristling, but far enough for some breathing room.

Apollo edged further back, desperately wracking his brain for something, anything to stall for time and get his ass out of there when-

Apollo froze, eyes going wide when a tall figure stepped out of the tree’s, trailed by several snarling wild-cats. She ignored Apollo, walking to her husband and leaning in to kiss him.

He smiled at her, “Diana, I’ve a gift.”

She turned, and Apollo wanted to cry. He might have been able to escape Pan, but he couldn’t escape both Pan and Diana.

She looked at him, and her cats fanned out, surrounding him as she came closer.

Her claw tipped hands were suddenly gripping his face, hot blood coursing down his neck as she tilted his face to study him. Her fingers were bruising, and she had the same manic, rabid look in her eyes that Pan and Ares and Algea did. Like they wanted to lap up the blood they spilled and listen to the screams they forced from their victims lips forever.

Pan came up behind her, “It’s a shame Gaia wants him and Artemis, it’s been so long since you’ve been able to bathe in the blood of a matched set.”

She hummed, “We could always say there wasn’t enough left to bring back. She of all people knows how… enthusiastic our beasts can be.”

Apollo struggled to find power, pulling at strength reserves he wasn’t sure he’d had until now, light sparked at his fingers.

Diana’s fingers dug tighter, and she hissed, “Don’t even try it. If you do I’ll make a rope of your skin and hang you in our courtyard for the birds.”

Apollo struggled to keep his breathing even and nodded minutely.

She smirked, flashing sharp fangs, and cast him to the ground roughly, her claws raking his flesh, splitting open long gashes across his cheeks, jaw, and nose.\

“Good.”

Apollo’s heart felt like it would beat out of his chest, and he scrambled back to put his back against a tree. His heart sank when he heard a low, rumbling growl.

He turned his head, and his heart froze, there, lumbering closer, was the biggest bear Apollo had ever seen. It approached him, and began snuffling at the blood across his face.

Apollo wanted to scream and sob when it began licking the hot liquid from his neck, then his cheeks.

He could feel the heat rolling off the bear in waves, and at that moment Apollo couldn’t focus on anything but praying that this creature wouldn’t eat him alive.

He was distantly aware that Diana and Pan were talking, glancing at him. He needed to be aware what they were saying, he needed to know if Diana had found Artemis and Hermes, he needed to know what they were planning.

But his heart thundered too loudly in his ears for him to hear anything beyond the low grumbling of the bear and the slick slurping sounds as it lapped up his blood. 

When he felt the brush of teeth, he did begin to cry, hot, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he prayed for a merciful death and for Hermes and Artemis to be safe. He choked on a whimper when he felt the bear begin to nibble at his jaw.

He sat there for what could have been hours as the bear tasted him, taking small bits of his flesh from his jaw. When he felt the teeth bite deeper though, when he felt the tear of flesh, he snapped.

Gold swords of sunlight finally appeared in his hands, and he didn’t stop to think of anything else as he drove them into the beast's heart. Before anything else could happen, Apollo was up the tree, leaping from branch to branch as he ran through the forest.

The enraged scream of Diana only served to fuel his running.

 

Artemis hit her brother with the force of a freight-train, sending his bow and blades scattering across the room. She ducked behind him, grabbing his wrists and hooking her arms under his as she pulled up and back to restrain him.

Orion darted past her, hissing at her as he sprinted away, “Stubborn woman!”

He vanished around a corner as Apollo struggled, growling.

“You think you can escape?! You think I will allow it?!”

Apollo grasped her wrists, flipping her over his head and into a wall. Artemis crumbled to the floor, groaning as she stood.

“Please, brother, this cannot be what you want.”

He grasped a blade from the floor as he stalked forward, “You know nothing!”

Artemis grasped the other blade from the ground to block with, but it vanished in her hands, light drifting apart. With a cry she dove out of the way, getting a slice across her calf for her attempt to block.

Dancing back, she ducked and weaved, avoiding his strikes and refusing to dole out any of her own, “Please, stop this!”

He finally landed another blow, embedding his sword in her side. She wheezed, sliding away as Apollo’s blade vanished and reappeared from her flesh. She struggled back, leaving blood in her wake as she desperately tried to breath.

“No, no, please!”

He was merciless, and with a single slice, his blade flashed through the air, and decapitated his sister.

With a jolt, both Artemis and Orion awoke.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so we've got maybe 4, 5 chapters left? And the ending is bittersweet. I can't promise much, but both Artemis and Orion will live :)

Apollo had never liked Diana. She had always been too suspicious, too nosy, too clever. She’d joined the Divine when she was 19 and Apollo and Artemis had been 18. Artemis had met her after a mission and had fallen head over heels in love. Only a few months in Artemis had brought her to their grandmother and asked to be allowed to marry Diana.

She’d been less than pleased, but allowed it. Once Diana had been deep enough into the Divine that she didn’t need to worry about being thrown out, she’d dumped Artemis for Pan only a few weeks before the wedding. They hadn’t been soulmates, but the bloodlust that boiled in both of them provided common ground where there had been none with his sister.

Artemis had been heart-broken, had sobbed in her room without leaving for nearly a week straight, no food, no water, no rest. Then, one day, Artemis had simply gotten up and moved on. Apollo suspected she’d resigned herself then and there to no more romance than an occasional physical tryst with a civilian.

So no, Apollo had never liked Diana, and he most certainly had thought he hated her before. He was wrong. He’d never known true hatred before now.

Now, he was in the tree’s, heart thrumming in his ears, running as fast as he could. Diana wanted to hurt Hermes and Artemis, defenceless and vulnerable in the BOL, and the idea of them being hurt because he was careless tore him up inside so badly he wanted to vomit. But he didn’t have the time, he didn’t have the breathing room. He just had to run and run and run and pray they followed him far and long enough for Hermes to figure something out.

 

Orion was scrambling for a knife when Persephone and Nahia came in with a male healer.

Persephone started, and Nahia rushed to his side, “What are you doing?! You’re ill, you need to rest! Don’t make me get your mother!”

Orion shook his head, “I’m fine, I need to get to Artemis. Something is wrong, deeply wrong. Something bad is coming and they will die if I don’t go to them.”

Persephone paused, eyeing him, “You think you’re in trouble.”

It wasn’t a question. The healer tried to speak, but Orion spoke over him

He nodded, and she sighed, “Very well, we’ll save my idiot cousins and bring them back.”

“You shouldn’t-” The healer tried again.

Orion put a shoulder on Persephone’s shoulder, then Nahia’s, and the trio vanished as the healer shot a dirty look at where they’d just been standing.

The man turned, slamming the door behind him, and began descending the stairs. Once he reached his quarters, he took out a phone and pressed speed dial 1.

“I couldn’t stall them, they’ll be there any second.”

A female voice sighed, “I suppose I could only ask so much from a non-gifted. Very well. Diana and Pan should be able to handle themselves well enough. If they can’t… Well, that’s why I only sent two.”

“What are my orders?”

“Ensure they have no safe-haven to return to.”

The man hung up, and turned to the closet. Checking his watch, he nodded, and began pulling cans of gasoline from his storage area.

 

Artemis was on her feet before Hermes realised she’d woken, looking around with a frenzied gaze.

He rushed to her side, “Oh thank the gods, how are you feeling? Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

Artemis shook her head, “No, something’s wrong, where’s Apollo? Where are we?”  
She felt so confused, mind muddled and thick with fog. She was sad and miserable and angry and she didn’t know why. Everything was smashed together and the more she tried to focus the worse it got.

Tears welled in her eyes, and Artemis couldn’t stop herself from asking in a tone like a lost little girl, “What’s happening?”

Hermes bit his lip, completely unsure how to help Artemis. He’d never seen her so close to tears. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her.

“Shhh, it’s okay, everything is alright. Apollo is just scouting the area, he hasn’t been gone even an hour, everything is fine.”

Artemis threw her arms around her cousin and sobbed into his shoulder as he slowly rocked her, “It’s okay, I promise everything is okay.”

Artemis calmed quickly, and her mind began to clear.

Her hand drifted to her neck, where the collar still rested. Her fingers wrapped around it, and she looked to Hermes’, tears clearing, eyes regaining the steely determination she was known for.

“You have to get this thing off of me.”

Hermes nodded, pulling a small leather case from inside his jacket, “Let me know if you start feeling badly. We didn’t try to get it off before incase it had warding against it, and you couldn’t let us know if something bad happened.”

Artemis nodded, lifting her chin and staring at the stone roof as Hermes got to work.

 

Orion wobbled on his feet as he appeared in a forest. He blinked. In the middle of goddamned nowhere. With Artemis nowhere in sight. He turned, surveying his surroundings. It was a pretty area, but what he sought wasn’t in sight. The bond was barely a flutter in the back of his mind, but stronger. She was close.

He turned to Persephone, “I’ve never had my powers fail me. I’ve tried to teleport to her, and we ended up here. Can you think of any reason why?”

Persephone turned in a circle eyes darting.

Then, her eyes landed on a cedar tree, turning quickly to the apple and oak on the other side of the clearing. She moved forward, crouching to card her fingers through a few different plants that grew.

“They have a safe-house near-by. I can’t say where it is, or why you didn’t go there directly, but I would guess Artemis has it warded against gifts.”

Orion turned, studying the area around him, “I guess we better look for it then.”  
The trio began to search.

 

Apollo gasped when he was knocked from the tree’s by a bird of prey, landing in a heap on the forest floor. Groaning, he sat up, and immediately had to swallow down a wave of nausea.

Looking down, he stared at his leg, where a bit of bone jutted through the flesh of his calf. He closed his eyes as waves of pain cascaded over him, and fell back, panting.

A growl sounded through the pain clouding his mind, and Apollo scrambled back, doing his best to ignore the pain in his leg, and the intense jolts of agony that got sent through his leg with every movement.

His eyes darted, and through the blur of tears he spotted a dark shape, a hulk wolf, growling and snarling as it advanced, closer and closer to Apollo.

When his back hit a tree, Apollo closed his eyes, tilted his face to the sky, and prayed to the gods that Artemis and Hermes would survive. When the fangs met his flesh Apollo screamed.

 

Orion’s head shot up as a ear-splitting scream hit his ears, jumping from where he’d been inspecting a rock and teleporting to the source of the sound.

His stomach tried to revolt when he was met with the sight of Apollo against a tree, one leg clearly broken, and his other arm being savaged by a wolf, but he didn’t allow it. With a swift, firm movement, Orion had his blade buried in the wolfs skull.

The creature went limp, slumping atop Apollo. The injured man’s eyes opened, and widened when they met Orion’s. Orion offered his a comforting smile as he pulled on the wolf, struggling to get him off of Apollo.

The blonde relaxed once the weight of the monster wolf was off of him, dragging in deep breaths.

“Where’s Artemis and Hermes? Have you found them, are they safe?”

Orion shrugged, pulling the knife from the wolves head and wiping it clean, “I don’t know where they are, I can’t find them.”

The brunnette cut open Apollo’s pants to the knee, taking in the broken bone, “I can’t fix this, this is beyond my abilities as a healer. We need to get you to my compound.”

Apollo shook his head, “No, you need to get Artemis and Hermes out, they’re still in the BOL, they don’t know Diana and Pan are this close.”  
Orion jerked upright at the sound of a branch snapping, turning to survey the woods.

Slowly, he relaxed, nodding, “Okay. Persephone and Nahia are close, I’ll bring you to them, you can take us to Artemis and Hermes, and we can all leave together.”

Apollo nodded, “Yeah, okay.”

Orion eased an arm around Apollo’s waist, letting him lean on him as he gathered his power and vanished.

 

Persephone sighed as she turned to her wife, “I’ve never been good at finding Artemis’ hidey holes.”

Nahia shrugged, “If you can’t find it, then that means no one else can either. That’s something, I guess.”

Persephone shrugged, taking her hand, “Doesn’t mean I can’t worry.”

Nahia sighed, giving her lover a half-hearted smile, “You never stop worrying.”

Persephone huffed, but leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Nahia’s forehead, inhaling the scent of her warm skin.

Both tensed when they heard rustling in the trees. Persephone pulled away from Nahia, taking a few steps back to ensure they had no contact before her hands and arms began to blacken and rot until there was only a little leathery flesh and bone, the change creeping across her whole body.

Nahia pulled a glock from under her coat, cocking it quickly and aiming it at the ground. Persephone mentally sighed, thankful she had a weapon. It might not do much against one of the gifted, but she’d far prefer her wife have a gun than a knife.

Persephone bristled when Pan smiled at them as he came into view.

“Persephone, how wonderful to see you.”

Persephone nodded as she edge in front of Nahia, “Wish I could say the same.”

Pan put a hand to his chest, “I’m wounded, truly.”

“What do you want?”

Pan grinned, “To kill that little pet of a non-gifted you call a soulmate.”

A snarl sounded behind them, and Persephone whirled in time to see Nahia level a gun at a wolf and shoot it in the head at point-blank range.

Persephone turned, stalking closer as she held out her rotting hands, “She is no one’s pet.”

Pan edged back, looking at Persephone’s hands, “Sephie, please, let's talk about this-”  
He was cut off by Persephone lunging forward and cupping either side of Pan’s face in her deadly hands.

Somewhere in the forest Diana screamed.

  


Orion raised a brow at the dead wolf and the rotting human corpse, too far gone to identify as man or woman, only a pile of decomposed meat and bones,

“You’ve been busy.”

Persephone laughed, “Couldn’t let you both have all the fun.”

Apollo gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes, “Yes, because breaking a leg and nearly being eaten alive twice in less than an hour is fun.”

Persephone stared at him, “Damn, you don’t look so good.”

Apollo shot her a sneer, “Yeah, jeez, I wonder why.”

Persephone rolled her eyes, “Where’s Artemis’ BOL, we can’t find it.”

Apollo scanned the area, before pointing to the north, “About half a mile in that direction there’ll be an apple tree with a stone jutting out next to it. Pull the stone up and to the left to get in. Hurry, we can’t be sure Diana doesn’t have scouts close.”

Orion grasped Persephone and Nahia’s arms and teleported them to the stone and then back to Apollo.

Apollo cracked an eye open, then grunted as he desperately tried to block out the pain, “What’re you doing’ here?”

Orion shrugged, “If another of Artemis’ family members died because of me, even indirectly, she might actually kill me. Call it self preservation.”

Apollo snorted, “I’d call it a lot of things, that’s not one’ve ‘em. You’re nervous to see her again.”

Orion shrugged, checking Apollo over for more wounds as best he could without touching him as Apollo picked up a branch from the forest floor and began to fiddle with it,“Of course I am. She might not actively hate me anymore, but I’m not so foolish to dare hope I still have a chance with her romantically after killing her second mother.”

Apollo snorted again, “Second mother. First time Hestia’s been called that in regard to us. Accurate though. She still loves you though. She’s just terrified.”

Orion’s brows drew up, “Of what? Of me, is she-”

Apollo actually laughed at that, though it was cut off with a hiss of pain, “Of course not, don’t be ridiculous. You’re an alright fighter if you managed to capture her-Yes, I know about that now shut the fuck up, I’m bestowing wisdom here.”

Orion pursed his lips, and listened as Apollo continued between pants of pain, “She’s afraid she’s gonna get you killed in this whole battle with the Divine. She’s terrified someone you love is going to die because of it. And that you’ll blame her. She’s lost everything else that had every mattered to her but me, Sephie, Hermes, and you. Our mother, our aunt, the rest of our family, our home, her status, her teachers, her horse, her dogs, her life. We had a life with the Divine. One under the boot of a madwoman, but a decent one nonetheless. And we had to give that up, and everything we loved about it. She’s absolutely terrified that even if the Divine spare us, even if we make it back to your compound, the two years will have created a devide to wide for her to fix, and you’ll be dangled just within her reach, but unobtainable to her forever.”

Orion opened his mouth but Apollo snapped, “Shut up, I’m not finished! Anyways. Artemis is afraid of a lot of things. But mostly, they revolve around three points. Loosing us, or that she’s already lost us and hasn’t noticed yet. What the Divine will turn us into. And that you’ll loose everything like she has, and worse yet, that she might enjoy it. She’s terrified that instead of helping you through loss like you did when mom died, some part of her that the Divine crafted to firmly to shake loose, will see you suffering, decide you deserve it, and enjoy it.”

Orion sat back, staring at Apollo, at a loss.

“Why would you tell me this?” Orion finally asked.

Apollo leaned in, eyes intense, “Because you have to live.”

In a flash, Apollo had taken Orion, and whirled him behind him. Orion turned, and found Apollo smiling politely at Diana as she crouched where Orion had been a moment before.

“What can I help you with?” Apollo asked in a customer service voice.

Orion had to stifle a giggle despite the situation.

Diana gave a bitter laugh, “You killed my husband. I didn’t love him, but I liked him.”

Apollo sighed, “Yeah, that wasn’t me. That was Persephone.”

Diana physically flinched, looking around before focusing on Apollo again, “Oh well, killing you still would have pleased him.”

She lunged, and Apollo batted her away with his branch.

Her eyes darted, and she seemed to consider, before grinning. She lunged again, this time for Orion. When Apollo batted at her, she dodged. Just as Orion grasped Apollo’s shoulder to teleport, claws met his eyes.

Orion screamed as Diana’s claws found his eyes and ripped them from his head.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so Orion is not as utterly fucked as it might seem, but things are not going to go easy for him. I think to him the worst of this is he knows that in the Divine any children who are born without powers are given the choice very young to either swear into servitude, become a healer, or be killed, and while Artemis, Apollo, Persephone, and Hermes may have left the Divine, those teachings have still been engraved in them since birth. No one who survives this is going to survive this unscathed though, and now it is Artemis' turn to care for Orion.  
> ALSO FOR ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN MY WHOLE DICK/CALLA/KLARION FIC I HAVE A NEW BOOK FOR THAT GOING UP NEXT WEEKEND CALLED 'FUCK ZOMBIES MAN' WHICH IS, PREDICTABLY ENOUGH, A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE AU   
> Anyways, as always enjoy, and any and all comments, reviews, ideas, and criticism is appreciated :)

Artemis stood when Hermes’ finally got that damned choker off of her. She was covered in sweat, still panting in the echoes of agony, but she was free.

Her body was weak, her arms and legs like jello. Apollo would have kept her hydrated with medicinal herb-water as best he could, but he could not have fed her. There was no time to replenish her strength.

Something in the bond screamed for her, so Artemis stood on legs that wobbled under her, and despite her weakness, despite her appearance, she grasped a large blade from the racks against the wall, and headed for the door.

Before she could reach it, the door swung open, and Artemis readied her blade backing further into her BOL to hide from sight, and she sensed Hermes’ coming up behind her.

Glancing over she noticed he had a long dagger in hand.

“Can you hide us?” Artemis whispered as she looked around for somewhere to hide.

He shook his head, “Tapped out.”

She nodded, leading him to a small hidden closet behind one of the tapestries she’d hung in the large room.

They sat and listened.

Two sets of footsteps echoed on the stone, and a woman's voice said softly, “Whoa…. Artemis built this herself?”

A familiar chuckle, “Yeah. She always was prepared for the worst.”

A shuffling as Artemis desperately tried to place the voices. Familiar, but just out of reach of her foggy mind.

“The bed is still warm, they are here. They hadn’t the time to get out without us seeing them.”

The sound of things being move, and fabric shuffled filled the small area, and Artemis knew they were searching for her.

She looked to Hermes and slowly pulled back the tapistry. Her mouth went dry, and she leaped forward, wrapping her arms tight around her cousin.

“Persephone!”

The blonde hugged her cousin back, “Artemis! Thank god you’re alive!”

She parted quickly, giving Hermes a high-five in passing before her face went serious, “We need to leave, I killed Pan, but his animals will default to Diana and I can’t pretend to know what she’ll do.”

Artemis nodded, and looked to Hermes, “Are you ready?”

He nodded, heaving a bug out bag over her shoulder and handing Artemis hers. After a moment of hesitation, she took Apollo’s from where it rested at the end of one of the cots as well.

“How is Orion?”

Persephone shrugged as they began to move, “It’s day by day. Mostly good. He’s been busy.”

Artemis nodded, then asked, “Have you seen Apollo?”   
Persephone’s shoulder dropped and Nahia picked up, “We did. He’s got a broken leg and was mauled by the animals. We need to get him to the compound, to the healers. He and Orion are together, since Apollo is too injured to defend himself.”   
Artemis nodded, “Let's go then.”   
Her pace quickened, and she strode ahead, eyes darting and ears sharp. Everything was happening so fast, Apollo was injured, badly, and needed medical aide, she was weak with pain and hunger, limb slow from lack of use. Hermes looked ready to keel over, everything about him read weariness.

All she needed to do was get to Apollo and Orion. Once she did she would have a little more time to think things over, to consider the torrent of emotions beating against her heart regarding Orion.

 

Nahia nudged Persephone’s shoulder, “Someone needs to tell her what we heard though the bugs.”

Persephone sighed, “I know. But Orion doesn’t even know yet. We’ll tell them once we’re safe.”

Nahia frowned, “The compound is not safe. What are you thinking?”

Persephone lookied to Nahia, “If we return to the compound now, we die. We tell them once Diana is dead, and then we plan our next move before we even consider returning. If nothing else we’ve the BOL’s Artemis built to shelter us for a night or two.”

The brunette rolled her eyes, “I suppose that works.”

Persephone leaned in, letting her breath fan against Nahia’s hear as she purred, “I thought you like me taking control.”

Nahia squealed with laughter, shying away from Persephone’s hands seeking her ticklish sides, “This is not the situation for that!”

Persephone pouted but went back to Nahia’s side, taking her had as she shot her wife a grin.

“Don’t worry. All will be well.”

Nahia sighed and shot her a small smile, “You’ve no way to ensure that. But it doesn’t matter. I’m too far gone for you for it to matter.”

Persephone gave an exaggerated evil laugh, “As was my plan all along! Mwahahaha-”

She was cut off by a scream somewhere close by, a male scream, soon echoed by Artemis as she fell to her knees and put her hands over her eyes.

Nahia shared a look with Persephone, and Nahia barked at Hermes, “Stay with her, keep her safe, we’ll fine Orion and Apollo.”   
Hermes nodded, putting an arm around Artemis and easing her to her feet even as she seemed to be blind to the world around her through the second hand pain. He led her towards a thick growth of brush. When Persephone glanced back a second later, she couldn’t see them.

 

When Persephone and Nahia burst into a clearing, they found Apollo, beaten and battered, a single golden blade that shifted and shivered with his struggle to keep it buried deep in Diana’s abdomen. The woman was laughing, head thrown back as she fell back to the ground and began to choke on her own blood.

Sprawled a few feet away, Orion was kneeled, gasping in deep, heavy breaths, hand clasped protectively over his eyes, blood and gore streaming down his cheeks and between his fingers.

Nahia went to Orion, easing his hands back and gasping softly at what she saw. His eyes, swiped through by Diana’s keen claws, had parted like egg yolks for her. They were almost completely gone, and there was nothing anyone who did not have a gift in healing could do, and gifts that were not in some way able to fight or defend were incredibly rare. Gifts that could affect anyone in anyway other than the gifted were almost unheard of.

So Nahia wrapped an arm around Orion’s shoulder, knowing he did not need to be told his eyes likely couldn’t be saved, and soothed him. He was her closest friend, had been her best man when she and Persephone had been married. To know all that had been taken from him made her enraged.

Persephone was at Apollo’s side, hissing questions to Diana. She answered none, only laughing and coughing up more blood, insisting she’d won.

So Persephone gave up. She looked to Nahia.

“Can you lead him back to Artemis and Hermes? I’ve got my hands full.”

Nahia nodded, “Yeah. We need to get out of these woods and get back home.”

Persephone nodded her agreement, helping Apollo to his one good foot. With how badly broken his other leg was, putting any kind of pressure on it was not an option. So Persephone struggled under the weight of her cousin to keep him from needing to.

Nahia came up to Apollo’s other side, and put her arm around him to help Persephone. Orion was silent, probably in shock, but he had his hands on Nahia’s shoulders, and the toes of his shoes against her heels. When they began to shuffle forward, Orion kept his feets directly behind hers, and they slowly, painfully, began the trek back to where Artemis and Hermes hid so they could figure out what to do next.

 

Orion wanted to curl up in a ball somewhere and hide. He had lost his sight. He had lost his gift. His ability, what might as well have been his legs. He wanted to scream and cry and throw a tantrum because this was something not even his darkest nightmares had conjured up.

And he hadn’t even the time to process it. They had to keep moving, had to find his soulmate and her cousin and get them all home so their wounds could be tended to and they could regroup.

Orion desperately tried to imagine he was just blindfolded, and forced his mind to other things. The others were injured. Apollo had the worst of it besides himself, mauled, a broken leg, one of his arms dislocated, bruised with a plethora of cuts, and probably some minor breaks or sprains besides. Artemis was probably severely dehydrated and malnourished.

Apollo said she’d only been able to get her to take a little broth and water over their days of travel, barely enough to keep her alive. His own pain and panic drowned out most everything from the bond, but distinct waves of intense worry laced with discomfort broke through his own feelings, grounding him. Nahia was probably the best off from all of them. Last he’d seen both Persephone and Nahia were mostly unharmed, but Persephone had had bruises and scratches on her arms from Pan trying to avoid her deadly touch. Nahia hadn’t had any injuries. Perhaps he’d seen wrong and she had some bruising, but he didn’t think so. Hermes was probably ready to keel over from exhaustion, and malnourished as Apollo was.

Orion bent his head to put his forehead at Nahia’s nape and silently prayed that he wouldn’t become a burden to this group and his soulmate for his new lack of gift and sight.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter shit starts spinning to an end. I might have changed my mind about the ending, but I'm not sure.

Artemis came back to herself before Hermes had even found them a proper hiding place. She wanted to run after her cousin and her cousins wife, but she knew it was a bad idea. She was weak, could barely hold the packs, and Hermes’ firm grip on her wrist was more than enough to still her.

Artemis settled her head between her knees and tried to focus on breathing as worry and panic wracked her, when she thought to check something.

Shrugging off her coat, Artemis rolled up her shirt a bit to see her belly, and her heart dropped to her feet. Her mark was gone, vanished, as it had been in her dreams. Hermes sucked in a shocked breath.

“Wasn’t your mark…?”

Artemis nodded, “It was.”

She felt her entire body seize up with a sense of grief so strong it was nearly as bad as when she’d finally stopped moving when Apollo and Hermes and she had settled and had crumbled into a million pieces when she had come across a patch of moon-flowers. Nearly felled by the very blooms she’d amired in Orion’s gardens with him the night she had escaped. The flowers her mother had always, without fail, braided into her hair a few times a week, and wove into a crown for her during the Divine’s celebrations. The plant that had been her symbol among the Divine.

It was no coincidence that her largest, most clever, and well-stocked safe house was beneath those very flowers.

“What do you think it means?” Hermes asked after a moment, and Artemis pulled herself from her grief.

“I cannot say,” Artemis sighed, “Neither gifted, nor mystic practitioner, nor science has yet to completely understand the ways of soulmates and their bonds.”

She paused before saying in a hushed tone, “I believe that is why Eros was so… Off. He made himself mad through his gift trying to understand things no mortal could.”

Hermes hummed contemplatively, but said nothing.

Artemis admitted so quietly she almost didn’t hear herself, “I’m afraid.”

Hermes bumped his shoulder to hers, “Of what?”

Artemis sighed, remembering why she liked Hermes so much. He was easy to talk to, and never told a secret. He weaseled them out of people, but never told a soul. She never needed to worry what she said would get to Apollo or someone else she wanted to appear strong for. He was a liar and a thief and a pain in the ass, but he kept secrets like the grave.

“Everything is too uncertain. I can’t feel Orion in the bond, but he may well feel me, and I can’t stop my worry and panic. I’m worse than useless to them, I’m a burden. The Divine will no doubt be here soon, to collect Pan and Diana’s bodies. Once they know we killed them, they will never stop hunting us. There are so many variables, so many unknowns, and I don’t like that.”

Hermes smiled at her, “There’s nothing we can do about that Artemis. For now, all there is for it is to wait for the rest to get back and figure out our next move. Compare notes, figure out who had wounds that need tended the most badly, and be sure we haven’t missed anything.”

Artemis nodded, and Hermes elbowed her, shooting her a shit-eating grin, “Just be sure none of us are in the room when you are Orion start going at it.”

Artemis flushed, and glared, “I resent that.”

Hermes rolled his eyes, “Uh-huh, yeah. I barely met the dude once, and you are all but gnawing at the bit to skin him alive and make him your winter coat the whole time. And yet you both were still somehow managing goo-goo eyes between the glares and guilt-stares.”

Artemis sank back against the tree she was leaning against, and grumbled, “Scratch that, I resent you.”  
Hermes cackled but stayed quiet otherwise.

 

Apollo’s vision was dancing black and white before his eyes with every moment. He needed his leg set, and they needed somewhere to rest so they might clean and heal their wounds. Orion could no longer teleport them, it would be weeks with the state they were in before they were able to get to the compound.

So when they finally got to a spot where Persephone stopped and insisted Hermes and Artemis were close-by, Apollo couldn’t help but to flop down on his ass, to hell with how he’d get up. Grasping Orion’s hand, he pulled the man down beside him and slung an arm around his shoulder.

Orion’s entire body was tense, head constantly twitching like he was going to look at something before remembering he no longer had eyes. Apollo sighed, and patted Orion’s shoulder lightly.

“Don’t worry, I can’t really go anywhere, so you can stick with me until they find the others.”

Orion gave him(or rather the space just to the left of his head)a hesitant smile, and relaxed into his side.

Apollo took the chance, and looked Orion up and down, surveying him to distract himself from the pain. Apollo’s lips pursed at what he saw. The man was dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and pair of over-large hiking boots that looked to have been hastily shoved on. His hair was a greasy, dirty mess, though if that was from the stress or before was anyone's guess.

Apollo frowned as he was suddenly struck by just how young they all were. Orion was the oldest of their group, and was only 25. He and Artemis had only turned 23 two months past. Nahia and Persephone were 22 and Hermes was 24. They shouldn’t be fighting for their lives against feral gifted as their cult of a family hunted them, they should be in college, working, partying and having fun. Not this.

Apollo slumped back, and asked Orion as gently as possible, “So your gift is toast, huh?”

Orion gave a half-choked laugh, “I suppose so. Jesus, loosing my eyes and my major in a day, what utter bull-shit. Not to mention that my bond with Artemis seems to be failing.”

Apollo patted Orion’s back, “I’m sure it’s just a side-effect of what Eros did, something you two can fix together.”

Then Apollo cocked his head, “Wait, major? You’ve a minor?”

Orion nodded, “I guess I forgot to tell Artemis that. I have-had, the ability to teleport, and an internal... something that tells me where what I want most is at all times.”

Apollo’s eyes widened, “Those times I saw you in town…”

Orion shrugged, “My minor  has been centered around Artemis since the day we met. I doubt I could have found you otherwise.”

“What was it before?” Apollo asked.

Orion shrugged, “When I was young, unattended money, job openings, safety and success. Once I began to build my criminal empire it focused around people who were loyal to me, and my family. Vulnerabilities of my enemies.”

Apollo hummed, “That sounds like it was a very useful skill.”

Orion tapped his fingers against his wrist absently, “It was. But knowing where to go for what I wanted only got me so far-”

Orion’s head suddenly whipped so fast Apollo flinched, and if if he’d still had eye’s he’d have been staring into the forest, cutting himself off as Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, and Nahia emerged from the trees.

Artemis froze when she saw them, before she ran forward, arms gathering Apollo and Orion both her her and squeezing them tight as she choked on a sob.

Apollo clutched at his sister just as tightly, and breathed deep breaths against her neck.

“I was so afraid you wouldn’t wake again.”

Artemis pulled back a bit before glancing at Persephone.

“What do we do?”

Nahia glanced to Persephone, then to Artemis, “We should retreat to the BOL you and Hermes were in before to hide incase the Divine comes for their bodies and figure out our next move.”

Artemis nodded, and Hermes bounded over, Persephone and Nahia behind him.

Together, Hermes and Artemis supported Apollo between them. Orion held onto her sleeve so tightly she thought the fabric might rip, but she didn’t complain, just held his wrist and ensured he didn’t trip or stumble as they made their way through the woods with Persephone running back to hide their trails and Nahia running ahead to scout their path.

When the reached the BOL Apollo sucked in a breath, sat on his cot. Hermes, Persephone, Nahia, and Artemis spoke together hushedly before they began gathering what they would need.

Once everything was set up, Apollo reached into the pack at his feet, and beamed Artemis in the head with an energy bar.

She turned, and picked it up, “The fuck?”

Apollo grinned, “You haven’t had more than herbal water in a week, eat so you aren’t shaking.”

Artemis nodded at him, and tore open the wrapper, devouring the bar so quickly Apollo was a little nauseous at the sight.

She brushed her hands off, then washed them in the sink against the far wall. The other three quickly did the same, eating then washing their hands, before splitting into two groups, Artemis and Hermes to set Apollo’s legs, clean and bandage his mauling, and tend to his other wounds, and Persephone and Nahia to see to Orion’s eyes and  the other minor injuries he had.

So, as Persephone gave him an apologetic smile, and Hermes removed his belt for Apollo to bite on it, Apollo clenched his teeth against leather, closed his eyes, and did his best to relax in spite of anticipating the pain to come.

 

When Apollo came to, he was warm, swathed in bandages and blankets, and he felt light and floaty. Likely pain medication. Still, no pain was nothing to be scoffed at. Apollo turned his head, eyes seeking his family.

They were all asleep except Artemis. Hermes was atop a pile of furs right in front of the fire, tangled in a bunch of blankets. Nahia and Persephone were one huge lump under furs, the only give away as to who they were the golden curls and onyx braids spilling across the top of the cot together.

Orion was asleep on the third cot, huddles on his side under a thick quilt, gauze across his face. Artemis was close to him, leaning against the wall at the foot of his bed, sandwiched between him and the woodstove that was burning bright. She was positioned to be looking right at the doorway.

Though her eyes were focused on the doorless frame, Artemis’ eyes were a million miles distant, completely wrapped in her thoughts.

He wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn her hand was tracing where her mark had been on her shoulder. Before he could give it much more thought, Apollo fell asleep again.

 

When he woke again, Apollo hurt everywhere, but there was no infection in his wounds and he was on the way to healing, so he really couldn’t complain.

Orion was next to Artemis on a cot, though they had a few inches of space between them. When Nahia, Persephone, and Hermes came in with food and passed it around, they all ate like they’d never eaten before and never would again. Once the meal was done, Apollo leaned back against the wall his cot was against, and Hermes crossed his arms over his chest at his side. Nahaia took Persephone’s hand, and after a shared look, Persephone spoke.

“We have news about the Divine’s plans.”

Artemis sucked in a breath, and Orion reached out a hand. Artemis took it, and they both gasped and stiffened. Everyone watched, wide-eyed as a new mark began winding its way up their arms, and across their bodies.

Orion said slowly after a moment, voice shaky, “I can see you.”  
Apollo blinked, watching as the parts of Orion’s face not obscured by gauze shifted from amazement to joy to fear and back again.

Everyone stayed quiet as they watched Orion lift a hand, certain in it’s path to Artemis’ cheek and begin stroking fingers across her cheekbone.

Artemis gasped, eyes wide and teary, before her mind caught what he’d said.

“Just me?”

Orion nodded, hand still caressing her skin, but didn’t seem at all upset.

He elaborated, “I can see you, Artemis. Black hair, mussed and messy and dirty, knotted and with no way to restrain it. Your skin is dark and soft and much more pale than normal from hiding, and you’re thin and weak now. You’re well-rested, but stress paints dark circles under your eyes, and you’ve new scars on your legs and hands that had yet to heal last I saw you. I can’t see the room we are in, or the bowl I hold, or the cot we sit on, but I see you.”

Artemis cupped his cheek, leaning in close, and her breath was heavy, and once more he had rendered her speechless.

Orion smiled wide, “I’d rather see you than any other view this universe has to offer.”

Persephone shifted in Artemis’ periferal. Artemis wanted to ignore them all. She wanted to hold Orion close, kiss him senseless, and at long last submit to the lust pulsing under their skin with their new mark.

But she can’t. She can’t look away from him either.

So Orion said breathlessly, hands shaking and reverent on her skin, “What do you know?”

Persephone said hesitantly, “Nahia and I heard through the bugs before you woke up that Gaia had planted a spy in our compound, and they had orders to destroy it if we left, or if they couldn’t do that, kill us upon our return.”

Orion stiffened, and Nahia picked up, “There’s more. Gaia has given the UN an ultimatum as well. If they do not hand over absolute control of each of their countries before the end of the month, the Divine will begin to take it forcefully, and part of doing that, will be Gaia personally seeing to it through her powers that they will no longer and never again have any viable crops.”

Artemis’ stomach sank, and her eyes were forced away from Orion as she stared at her cousins in horror.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter someone who was mentioned by name in this chapter dies. Also, sexual tension with Artemis and Orion will start the whole sexual tension thing up again now that they're kinda sorta safe. I can't promise much, but they will fuck before I let any of them die. Also, I take back any promise's of a happy ending, the only ones I promise to let live are Nahia and Persephone

Gaia paced her office, eyes closed. She did not need to see to know her way, she had done this often enough to know where her steps would land. More so since Artemis had left and taken some of her most valuable assets with her.

Artemis. Her pride and joy. One of the most interesting and promising warriors of the Divine. The jewel of Gaia’s crown. Left, gone, whisked away by a soulmate. By the temptation of a future with love in it. With weakness in it.

Gaia’s fingers ached to plant themselves in Artemis’ flesh, to grow in her like roots in soil, to torture her and listen to her screams of agony every night as she fell asleep as the confirmation that she had won.

But she hadn’t. She hadn’t won. And now she might not. The screams and gunshots and trembles of the earth even now, just outside proved that. The sounds of battle, of betrayal as Artemis and her amassed army of traitors fought to betray her.

Some sixth sense inside of Gaia bloomed, like a flower coming into its own as she paced, a feeling she’d felt not but a scant 7 or 8 times in her life. An aspect of her powers she called her harvest sense.

Movements suddenly sure, she moved to her desk, and pressed a button for the intercom.

“Hecate, prepare our forces. It is time.”

As Gaia shuffled through the papers declaring all she had worked for, she grinned. The work of near ten centuries was soon to come to fruition. Gaia sat in her chair, tension bleeding away as she envisioned all the ways she would make the traitors and their partners scream and beg when the world was hers, and all the gifted who’s only duty would be to keep them alive for more. Only 3 people had betrayed her before this. This batch would pay just as dearly, and no one ever would again for the example she would make of them.

For the years to come in which she would rule this world, they would never forget the agonies inflicted on her traitorous grandchildren. She would be sure of that.

 

Hermes smirked at his cousin as they walked behind Persephone, Nahia, Artemis, and Orion, paired into groups of two as they trekked through the woods to Artemis’ only BOL with an internet connection.

Apollo was pouting, eyes downcast.

Hermes nudged him, and Apollo glanced at him before frowning, resisting the urge to hit him with his crutch, “No.”

Hermes’ smirk widened, “I didn’t say anything.”

Apollo scowled playfully, “You didn’t have to you little shit. I can see it in your face. I’m not gonna do it.”   
Hermes rolled his eyes, “The hell you won’t. We’re basically spy’s and cult escapee’s, and also, we’ve got some hella powerful gifts. You realize how hot we’d be to our soulmates. We’ve gotta find them.”

Apollo rolled his eyes, “Yes, cult escapee’s who are being hunted, you really want to drag whoever they are into that? If they die because of that, we’re responsible.”

Hermes sighed, “Yeah. But you really think whoever they are, they can’t take care of themselves? Even Artemis got a badass soulmate, and we all know how much she likes soft things. Look at her relationship track record.”

Artemis called from ahead of them from where she was helping Orion over a log, “Fuck off.”

Hermes fucking cackled, the ass, “Never!”

She huffed.

 

Artemis sighed in relief when she saw the clearing where she had built her BOL. It had been nearly a month long journey to the cabin without any sign of pursuit, and a difficult journey due to their frantic pace, alternating days between walking, and jogging and running as best they could.

It wasn’t a pretty structure, but it was sound, built so it leaned upon four giant, ancient trees, rocks and concrete plated with steel and copper. A huge antenna stretched towards the sky, with solar panels covering the roof and several yards of land behind the house.

A river rotated somewhere out of sight, and a shed stood off the the side Artemis had personally made sure was filled with stores, water purification, tools, and wood.

Grabbing the key from around her neck, Artemis hurried ahead with Orion to open the door to the shed first, collecting firewood and cans of food before going to the door to open it.

As Artemis set Hermes to starting the fires in all of the hearths, one in each room, little pyromaniac at heart he was, and Apollo to opening and preparing the food with him, Artemis set Persephone and Nahia to sterilising water from the taps and boiling them for baths since she had only hooked up the plumbing in the sinks and toilet. Artemis wasn’t a plumber by trade, and she hadn’t seen the need to tempt fate with the opportunity for a mistake that she could mess up that badly another time. If it ever needed alterations, she could make them.

Artemis and Orion set to preparing the bedrooms. Actual Bedrooms, with beds that had soft, warm sheets, thick blankets, and furs, rugs, dressers, clocks, and a decent supply of clothes. 

Also, each room had an  _ enormous _ bathtub in it, and a stock of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. And when Artemis said enormous, she meant enormous. As in, enough room for three or four people to bath stacked two high side to side without much squishing. Artemis had meant this place to be a second house to flee to if they ever needed to relocate. It was almost 3 times out of the Divine’s search radius for this kind of thing, and bought, built, stocked, and handled through paid transactions of a local, elderly man who thought the three were children who had escaped an abusive home and on the run. So he’d claimed he was a prepper and it was a hobby in his old age. It was the kind of story the Divine wouldn’t bother to double check.

It was made quick work for them to wade in the stream to wash most of the grime and sweat of travel from them, heat the house, and eat before everyone departed to their respective bedroom’s with as much water as they could carry.

Artemis and Orion went into Artemis’ bedroom, Hermes and Apollo into their respective rooms, and Persephone and Nahia into the spare guest room, accepting a few sets of too-big clothes before they all locked themselves away for the night, content with the security sensors and Hermes’ promise to go outside and make the entire structure invisible for a few days, despite how it would drain him.

Artemis and Orion sat in their bed that night, both bathed and clean, warm in sleep clothes as they stared at the ceiling. Both lost in their own thoughts.

Despite their worries and fears, the weariness of travel, warm rooms, and soft bed soon won the battle between sleep and wakefulness, lulling both into a deep sleep.

It was well after noon before anyone woke the next day. Even Apollo, Mr. ‘I rise with the sun for thematic appropriateness’ slept through the better part of the day.

Apollo and Persephone were the first to wake, shuffling around the kitchen to prepare some food before the others woke.

When Nahia wandered from her and Persephone’s bed in search of her wife and breakfast, she was greeted with a spread of half a dozen types of crackers, tuna, cheeses, canned fruits, nut butters, waffles, and a few boxes of cereals, with some purified water boiling on the stove for tea.

Persephone grinned at her and met her at the end of the table from where she was setting out a plate of frozen waffles with a kiss, slipping her arm around Nahia’s waist. The darker woman grinned, leaning into the warmth of Persephone.

Her wife had started a fire in their room to warm her before she had left it, but she had still felt cold without Persephone by her side. Occasionally that happened with soulmates, but especially those whose bonds lingered in either extreme from smooth to rocky.

Sometimes a partner felt cold without their other half, sometimes all the world but their soul seemed faded and dim if they weren’t touching, or incredibly quiet and dull. She and Persephone had always had a smooth bond. The best of friends, easily reading each other and their moods. They had yet to have an argument that could be described as anything other than a mildly heated debate. Both women were fierce and passionate, but being with the other was as easy and simple as breathing, and they revolved each other like planets did a sun in a way that was natural and without thought.

With Persephone, Nahia was at peace, and around Nahia, Persephone relaxed like she did with no one else.

A kiss to her temple broke Nahia from her thoughts, and she glanced to her wife.

Persephone brushed a braid behind Nahia’s ear, face soft and eyes gentle as she asked, “What are you thinking?”

Nahia leaned up a little to kiss Persephone quickly, “How incredibly lucky I am to have you.”

Persephone snorted, but her arms tightened protectively around Nahia’s frame even as she said, “We’re currently running for our lives from my family. And living on the paranoia of my cousin, which, while extensive, has its limits. At any moment we could be found by my family, and die. So while I love you more than literally anything I could ever imagine, and I’m extremely glad the sentiment is returned…. No, I don’t think you’re lucky to have me.”

Nahia rolled her eyes, “I am.”

Artemis’ voice sounded from behind them, “As sickeningly adorable as that is, it’s not paranoia if someone is actually after you.”

Apollo rolled his eyes from where he stood at the stove, but stayed quiet as he slipped from the room to collect Hermes and Orion for breakfast.

Hermes and Orion stumbled into the kitchen after Apollo a few moments later, Hermes clearly having just woken up, and they all sat around the table to eat.

Nahia noted as she bit into a still-hot waffle that Hermes looked even more tired than he had last night, dark circles under his eyes, and stifling a yawn behind his hand every few minutes. A shared look with Persephone assured her she wasn’t the only one that noticed it.

Nahia took a moment to catalogue everyone else. Her family now. Her wife, her cousin’s, and Nahia’s boss. Nahia’s closest friends.

Hermes was the only one who didn’t look like a nights sleep on a real bed and a hot bath hadn’t completely refreshed them. Orion and Artemis sat close, Artemis helping the man to select food, and talking in hushed voices. Both looked well rested and clean. Orion’s eyes were healing well, and Nahia thanked god not for the first time that they hadn’t gotten infected.

Apollo was also healing well, his leg still weak, and he was still using a crutch, but he was better, able to walk without assistance from anyone. His face and shoulder were just closing completely, the scabs flaking off, and he would likely always bare those scars. Nahia recalled how his shoulder had begun to set with infection a week into their journey, and the frenzy Artemis had flown into to save him. It was a good thing he had lived for more reason that he seemed a good guy and didn’t deserve to die. Nahia genuinely feared what Artemis might become if she lost anything else. That look in her eyes, wild and angry, had made Nahia nervous and nauseous

She didn’t know Artemis well enough, even after a month of traveling together on foot, to truly trust her, and that episode had made her acutely aware of that. She’d grown more comfortable with her since then, but she still glimpsed something wild and unspeakably dangerous in her eyes from time to time that made Nahia want to flee far, far away from her. It was the look of a predator that was angry and cornered and planned to fight their way out. It was something she’d never seen in the face of someone else before, not even Orion or Apollo or Persephone.

Nahia sighed and leaned back in her chair as she finished, eyes darting around the table. Still, if this was her lot, her family, her team, she doubted she could ask for a better or more loyal one.

Orion and she had known one another since he and his family had moved to the states when he had been ten and she had been seven.

She’d latched on to him, followed him around like a little sister and a best friend all in one. She’d seen his loyalty and his strength. Persephone, her wife, her soulmate, so strong and deadly and smart. She trusted her without exception or question, and had for a while now. Apollo, Artemis, and Hermes were alright. She didn’t know them as well as she’d like, but from what she’d seen and what she’d heard from Persephone and Orion, they were…. Intense. Loyal, strong, but intense.

Nahia nodded to herself, a small smile crossing her face. Yes. This was a family she could be glad to have.

Then, Hermes fell asleep on the table. Nahia laughed a little, and let him be as she helped Persephone gather the dishes and bring them to the sink where Apollo was washing them.

Nahia curled up in the living room with Persephone.

Thirty minutes, later, her blood ran cold when a knock at the front door sounded through the house.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So it was a toss up if Hermes or Apollo would die, but I'm pretty happy with who I chose. Also, Artemis and Orion have like a hot minute to greive before having last-night-on-earth-let's-hope-we-don't-die sex and doing something really, really stupid

Artemis’ head snapped to stare at the door, heart thundering in her ears.

Orion’s hand tightened around hers, and she slowly stood.

Glancing to Persephone, the blonde asked softly, “Safe room?”

Artemis nodded her head to a chest across the room, signing to her, “Inside the trunk, pass code is 1385. Once you get down there press the panic button on the wall and only I will be able to get down there again. I’ll see who it is, and if it’s something I can’t handle I’ll make them think we split up to avoid tracking and flee.”

Persephone nodded, and Artemis turned to Orion, kissing his cheek before firmly telling him, in the quietest voice she could manage“Stay with them. Stay safe. I will get to you as soon as I can.”

He nodded, and he swept a strand of hair from her face. Even in the face of all this, her skin went alight at his touch, blood rushing, and she sucked in a breath before leaning in, kissing him.

She’d distantly aware of Nahia and Persephone hurrying to put things away, hide bags in closets, and lock the doors to the rooms those closets are in as fast as humanly possible, before pulling apart. She looks around, and the sofa’s cousins have been flipped, the blankets thrown over the backs, and the house looks like no one has been there except for the single bowl, plate, spoon, and fork still left dirty atop the counter. It looks empty, but not too empty.

Then, Nahia was beside them, taking Orion’s hand to lead him away. Artemis watched as Apollo helped a dazed and stumbling Hermes down the steps, and Persephone helped him. Then, the slot in the floor was covered by someone sliding the truck over it again, and she heard the locks click into place. Everything arranged and over with in a mere moment.

Artemis takes a moment to thank the gods that there wasn’t much to mess up anyway and that the trash has a cover to hide the cans and boxes of non-perishable food that no one person could ever eat in a day or two.

Artemis took a deep breath, and walked to the door as another knock sounded. She wracked her mind, trying to figure out who it might be. The night before Orion had called his family on a satellite phone to ensure they were safe and make sure they knew not to contact him, and that if anyone came looking, they weren’t on his side. He’d specifically said not to get stupid and try and play hero, but who knows. Artemis had met his little sister, Alex when she was being held prisoner. The girl was smart enough, but did seem the type to try and help when she shouldn’t.

Artemis stopped by the door, pulling a set of daggers from a pot and strapping them to her waist. An old-fashioned shield from the wall found a home on her arm, and Artemis took a deep breath, before cracking open the door.

Peeking around, her weapons and shield hidden by the door, Artemis peered at the person on the other side Her brows drew up, and her lips twitched into a frown.

“Athena?”

The woman smiled at her, though it didn’t reach her eyes, “Artemis. Are the rest of your traitors here, or are you alone?”

Artemis’ face fell into the familiar mask of boredom, “Alone.”

“Good, good. It’s just us then. I’m here with an offer from Gaia.”

Artemis swallowed, and opened the door wider.

Athena gave her a grin, and walked inside.

 

Orion sat in the safe room, head leaned back against the wall, focusing on his and Artemis’ bond. Since he’d lost his sight, his side of the bond had been getting more and more intense, to the point where he had felt what she had felt and seen what she had seen in momentary glimpse in the past month. She’d given no indication of the same thing, so he hadn’t mentioned it yet.

Now though, he couldn't help it. He was worried and he needed to know just how far he could push their bond.

Slowly, in a halting, stumbling approximation of progress, he slowly felt the line of Orion and Artemis, of her and him, blend and bleed together, melting into something much more hazily defined.

An after echo of what Artemis was seeing filled his mind's eye, her standing tall and firm as an oak, stroking the leather-clad handles of a pair of daggers as she watched a dark haired, grey eyed woman.

Artemis was ridged with tension, but forced herself to sit down across from the woman, cross her arms, and externally relax.

The woman’s voice sounded far away and like someone is turning the volume up and down on an old stereo as Artemis listened to her speak.

“Gaia is tired. All those little pests you’ve been sending after us haven’t helped. She’s willing to offer you out, completely, no strings attached, all the way out, if you pull back your forces, and step out of our way for the next 3 years, give or take.”   
Artemis’ confusion filled the bond, and she responded, “I don’t have any forces to send after her. What do you mean?”

The woman snorted, “I’m not stupid Artemis. The attacks on our base for the past two years started when you left, and there’s literally no one else who it could be.”

Artemis’ jaw clenched, “I’m not the only enemy of the Divine. I’ve been on my own, no outside contact since we left. Whoever it was that started the attacks, wasn’t me. But, I am willing to stay out of the Divine’s way for the next 3 years. For forever, if you can promise me on Gaia’s gifts me, nor no one I love will be hunted by the Divine.”

That was a blatant lie, but Athena seemed to buy it.’

She considered, then smiled, “I’m sure Gaia would find such a deal agreeable. I will return with her answer.”

Artemis asked as Athena went to get up, “A lot of people are going to die in those 3 years aren’t they. Innocent people.”

Athena squinted at her, “You didn’t care about that before you left.”   
Artemis raised a brow, “And I don’t really care now, I just want to know what I’m agreeing to.”

Athena studied her, then nodded, “People will die. Especially the stupid ones, but the Divine never has and never will kill for the sake of killing.”

Artemis lifted her chin, “Tell that to Hestia.”   
Athena went stiff, and she turned her head, eyes so angry and dark it make Orion shiver.

“Do not speak the name of my soulmate in my presence again, you bitch. Your soulmate killed her. It is only by order of Gaia that I do not kill his.”

Athena got up and walked out the door. When the door slammed, Artemis slumped back into the couch and sighed, before standing and moving towards the truck the safe room was hidden under.

Orion relaxed the bond, coming back to himself sharply, almost violently, and sagged against the wall as his head span.

Distantly he heard  the trunk move, and Artemis’ voice, that deep, clear thing, like the gonging of a giant bell calling them back up, calling him back to her, but Orion was adrift within himself. He couldn’t find his arm, or his legs, or his torso. He was floating, and he felt as if he might never find his way back.

Hermes’ voice sounded close when he said, “Yo, your boy toy isn’t looking so good.”

Artemis didn’t respond, but he heard soft footsteps.

Then a soft whisper of, “Hey darling, you okay?”

Her fingers brushed his forehead, then cupped his cheek, impossibly gentle, and all at once Orion found himself. In the strange new way he had, Orion opened his minds eyes as his hand found her shoulder, and he was stunned by her.

Her face, near always twisted in pain or worry or anger, was soft, and sweet, dark eyes filled with fondness, and Orion eased to his knees, and pressed his forehead to hers.

She smiled at him, and her thumb stroked across his cheek.

“I felt you with me.”   
Orion grinned, “I suspected I could do that, but I don’t think I will be doing it again unless I absolutely have to.”

Her hand combed through his hair, and he heard the others close the chest as they left them to their own devices, “And why is that?”

“It was like diving into what I thought was a pond but was really an ocean. I got lost. Between the distance between our minds and the strangeness of being inside your mind, I couldn’t figure out where my body was, or the controls to it.”

Her smile faded a little, “But you’re moving now.”

“Because your touch is like a beacon, drawing me home.”

Surprise, lust, and love flickered through Artemis’ eyes, before she drew him into a kiss.

Orion groaned, sinking into her as his hands found her waist and he kissed back with all he had, entire body going hot.

Just as his thumb began drawing circles in the skin of her waist, a scream sounded upstairs.

Orion and Artemis both bolted up and away from each other, before Artemis sprinted for the trap door. Orion snarled at himself for his own uselessness as he was forced to wait.

  
  


Artemis felt Orion’s presence like a second heartbeat in the back of her mind as she locked the door, drew her daggers, and looked around the gauge the situation.

Persephone stood in front on Nahia, who held a glock cocked and ready, aimed at the floor. Hermes had a small knife in hand, eyes darting as he shifted in front on Apollo. Apollo was leaning heavily of a spear of sunlight, a long, wicked sharp blade held in his other hand.

Just inside the doorway, Aphrodite and Ares stood, hands clasped eyes serious.

Aphrodite grinned at her, and Ares scowled.

Aphrodite said in a cheerful tone, “We’re here to kill you.”

Ares let go of his soulmate, rolled his shoulders, and started forward, a shield on one arm, his thickly muscled body going sickly grey as he held out his other hand.

Artemis snarled, snatching the shield from earlier, and drawing a dagger as she dove toward Aphrodite. The woman giggled, sliding out of the way easily, and twirling on heal as she danced forward, easing around Nahia and Persephone, and their attempted blows with a gut-clenching, unnatural ease.

Artemis followed just as quickly, handing her shield off to Persephone and slashing quickly across Ares’ back as he grasped for Nahia or Persephone with his dangerous touch.

Before he could retaliate, Artemis was after Aphrodite, slashing and jabbing with her daggers and doing her best to help Hermes and Apollo fend off her own attacks and unnatural speed and grace.

As it was, the best Artemis was able to do was open a wound along Aphrodite’s forearm and a shallow opening at her hip.

The blonde laughed at their efforts, and produced a three foot long needle blade to give attacks of her own.

The battle lasted scant minutes before Nahia got a clean shot on Ares, firing a bullet into his head.

Aphrodite inhaled sharply, stumbling, eyes wide and disbelieving as she looked at her soulmate sprawled across the floor. She gasped for air, and the harsh red slashing lines of her mark began to fade to black. Aphrodite choked on air as she looked at Ares, before she turned, eyes burning with rage, and planted her blade in Apollo’s gut.

Then they both fell.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It isn't quite as long as I'd like it to be, but it felt like to keep going from that point would cheapen this chapter and everything I tried to get across in it. It certainly isn't my best work, but I feel like the disjointed way it's written might almost help the somber, a little bit broken tone I was going for, so I decided to let it be.

Artemis felt utterly numb as she watched her baby brother fall, sword in his belly. She didn’t remember moving, but she must have, seeing as she found herself on her knees at his side.

Artemis took a quivering breath, pulling her brother into her lap, and petting his hair. Distantly, she realized she was crying, but she started speaking to him softly as she met Apollo’s eyes.

“Hey, it’s alright, we’ll fix this, I can fix this.”

Her voice sounded broken, even to her own ears.

Apollo smiled at her, one hand finding hers and squeezing, but he didn’t speak.

His clothes were turning red at an alarming rate, and Artemis glanced at the blade before looking back to her brother, and wrapping him tight in her arms, gently rocking him as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“I love you so much.”

Apollo squeezed her hand, eyes fluttering closed as his breathing grew more labored, “I know. I love you too.”

Artemis swallowed thickly, and clutched to him so tightly her limbs felt numb. A sob escaped her throat, and the numbness went with it.

Suddenly, everything inside of her ached, deep and intense as she held her dying brother, helpless to stop his bleeding.

“Please don’t leave me,” Artemis cried, her voice small, burying her face in his hair.

Apollo huffed, “Can’t help it.”

A beat of quiet, and then, “At least I can see Mama again.”

She nodded, laughing in a way that was more a cry of pain than a laugh, “Tell her I love her too.”

He smiled, eyes dimming, “She knows. She always does”

Artemis wilted, “I’ll make them pay for this. I swear they will.”

Apollo’s lips twitched into a feral grin, and his face relaxed as he slurred, “ Gotta draw ‘em out. Control the battlefield.”

Then he went lax in her arms, and Artemis tilted her head back and screamed to the heavens. Orion’s hand settled on her shoulder, and Artemis lost herself in an ocean of grief and pain.

 

If couldn’t have been more than 30 minutes later when Artemis came back to herself. She was still kneeling, covering in blood, head hanging. Apollo was gone though.

She bit back her sobs, and sat up straighter, glancing around. She was alone save for Orion at her side, holding her hand.

Artemis swallowed, took a deep breath, and glanced over to Orion.

He squeezed her hand, “Hermes and Persephone are preparing him for a Gifted burning, and Nahia is gathering clean wood from the forest.”

Artemis nodded, and they both stood.

“Where is he?”

“In his bedroom. Spare sheets are soaking in a basin we found, and Hermes and Persephone are performing the last blessing. When they’re done you can see him to say goodbye. Hermes wanted me to tell you if you want to help wrap him you can.”

Artemis swallowed and nodded, glancing around again. She spied the white sheets in a large tub across the room, right outside Apollo’s room, soaking in oil to prepare for his funeral. She was covered in her brother’s blood. She couldn’t see him like this.

Silently, Artemis turned to the kitchen sink, took a rag, and began to wipe off the blood, feeling strangely numb as she did.

Thank the gods her cousins were seeing to Apollo’s final blessings and preparing to set him at rest. She didn’t think she could. It was customary for the closest family of the fallen Gifted to help in wrapping them in the oil-soaked cloth, and she knew that Hermes offering it was his way of saying she was not expected to. Offering her a way out.

Once she was clean of blood, Artemis turned, feeling dizzy and off-kilter, and went to Apollo’s door.

She knocked softly, and Hermes’ voice called from inside, “We just finished, please come in.”

Artemis opened the door, and couldn’t help her gasp.

Apollo was laid on his bed, a black tarp under him, clean of blood and unclothed save for his boxers. The gaping wound in his belly was clean, and stitched closed.

Dots of blessing water glistened on his face and chest, and he was more pale and still than she’d ever seen him.

Artemis sank to her knees beside the bed, and, careful not to disturb the water droplets, kissed his forehead, and brushed his hair back.

“I’m gonna miss you so much.”

She took a deep breath, kissed him again, and stood. Turning, she found Orion wringing the strips of white cloth free of oil into the tub.

Artemis and her cousins joined him, hands setting to work until the strips were no longer dripping. Then, they began, wrapping his limbs individually, then binding them together and submerging them in the left-over oil while they prepared a stretcher.

Artemis left to check on her brothers pyre.

 

Nahia was arranging the wood as instructed when Artemis emerged from the house. Ares and Aphrodite were laid side-by-side atop the first layer, without any of the traditional wrappings or blessings, seeming encaged by the wood that surrounded them from every side. The pyre was within a small ditch, as wide and long as the pyre was, and around 6 inches deep.

She jumped when Artemis appeared by her side, taking a long, thick branch, stripped of bark or moss from the large pile Nahia had made.

Nahia smiled at her sadly, and silently, they began to build the pyre. Persephone joined them soon after, and they worked for nearly an hour until Hermes came to retrieve her.

When Hermes and Orion, guided by Persephone carried a stretcher from the house, the pyre was ready, a more or less square structure with sticks and branches and logs all woven and fitted together to create a pile of wood rectangular in shape, around 4 and a half feet tall, spikes sharpened wood pointed up and out at the corners.

Hermes and Orion positioned him above the opening the led to the bed, and loosened the thick white quilt supporting him, already sopping with oil. They lowered him in, then helped to weave the last branches in place over him, shielding him from the world.

Then, together, all five of them doused the wood with oil, said their final goodbyes, and set it alight.

They stood there together for hours, watching the wood and oil and flesh burn. They watched as Apollo, their sun and guiding star, as strong and serious as his sister, but as willing to tease as Hermes when it was called for, was burned away from this mortal plain.

Artemis whispered to Orion as the flames roared and drowned out everything else, “In the Divine, it is believed that when a Gifted dies, they leave behind mortality. That they will become a god in their own right and live in the heavens forever in their purest form of who they are.”

She gave a choked laugh, “I hope that at least is true.”

Orion wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her head, “So do I.”


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I'm way too tired to write smut right now. Probably gonna write it and add it tonight or tomorrow after some sleep though, for anyone who is interested. First glance at Orion's family(Hint, Diomedes is being a bit hypocritical in his disapproval of Orion tango-ing with the Divine) but most certainly not the last. Some revelations about funerary beliefs that are pretty much universal among the Gifted, and next chapter we get a look into how being Gifted fits in certain religious beliefs and foreshadowing into how this whole Gifted business even started. Maybe some more sexy-times for all, and then Artemis and Hermes are off to fight and accidentally meet Apollo's would be soulmate, and Hermes' actual soulmate. It gets weird lol :D  
> Enjoy!

Artemis felt like tearing her skin from her muscles and her muscles from her bones and screaming until her throat was raw and bloody, because that was the only way for a physical hurt to even compare to how she felt inside right now. It had been three weeks since Apollo’s funeral. Three weeks, and the pain had yet to ease or lessen. Three weeks without any contact from anyone outside their group.

She was going mad.

Artemis knew she had to go after the Divine, to dismantle them and destroy Gaia. She couldn’t let them get away with all they’d done. But the rest of her group was unwilling to make any hasty decisions.

So Artemis was alone. And she had to plan accordingly. Persephone had Nahia to think of, and vise-versa, neither would walk into a death-trap with her, not when it risked the other. Orion would never go along with this, with her charging into a mission that would almost certainly kill her. Hermes was the only one who might go with her, to fight beside her.

As strong as his sense of self-preservation was, Hermes had loved her brother. In an intense way that she didn’t quite understand. Best friends, brothers, cousins, platonically linked so tightly together that it rivaled her bond with her brother, and occasionally surpassed it. She had to admit surprise they weren’t soulmates of some variety. It was nearly unheard of for soulmates to be related, but it happened on occasion with platonic or familial bonds. About 1 case per every 10 or 11 thousand.

If anyone would follow her to see his death avenged, it would be Hermes though.

Slowly, she stood from her spot in the forest, walking between the tree’s, feeling the sun on her skin, sighing with the wind as it whispered through the branches around her. Here, eyes closed, she could all but feel her brother beside her.

The sun felt like her brother and mother bestowing her with a proud smile, the wind their warm hugs. It almost felt like she’d gone back several years, and all was right with the world once more. Her family alive and well. When she was so ignorant, but so happy.

Artemis knew she should be glad to be wiser, to know better now, but all she wanted was her family back, to be at peace with the world and her place in it.

Now, she knew if she opened her eyes, and looked to the east, she’d see the house her family was in from the ridge she stood upon. She would see the blackened remains of Apollo’s pyre, and the line of gravestones that they had set up across the field from it. 

Artemis would see the evidence that the only people she’d ever truly trusted were dead. She would have to look upon her brother and mother’s restings places.

Not actual burial places of course, but a place to honor their fallen family. Apollo, Hestia, and Leto were given stones with names, cause of death, and short epitaphs.  Each also was given the small prayer given to all who died without their soulmates or before meeting them, their last words, age, and a short summary of their power.

Ares and Aphrodite had been given stones, though no one in their group had felt partial enough to give them engravings besides the basics. Artemis would do a great many things, but dishonoring the dead through epitaphs engraved in anger was not one of them.

She hated her cousins. She hated them beyond words for taking her brother from her. But she had given them a joined resting place, as was the bare minimum for all soulmates, and a stone over it that bore an infinity symbol with their names in each loop.

And, as she knew they’d have demanded, a yin and yang symbol below that, with their powers on either side.

Ares’ side read ‘Strength and madness through rage’. Aphrodite’s had read ‘Grace and madness through love’.

She could never live with herself if her family wasn’t avenged. Ares and Aphrodite’s attack was no doubt Gaia’s doing. Her lies poisoning the minds of those Artemis had held as close friends and comrades once. Gaia would pay for this. She had to.

Turning towards the house, Artemis began down the slope to begin her preparations.

 

A man sighed as he stared at the sheets of paper he’d arranged into a timeline. Orion had never been the easiest person to pin down, always moving, always restless, always reaching for more, but you’d think after a life-time Diomedes would have figured him out.

Apparently not. The fact that his compound had been completely obliterated mere hours after he had left it with Nahia and her soulmate to search for his didn’t help.

He’d never met the girl, but even if he had, Diomedes didn’t think his brother would be bonded to anyone predictable.

Diomedes dropped his head into his hands, and groaned, “When the fuck did my little brother get involved in a Gifted gang war? When I find that little shit we’re having a long conversation about how to make life choices.”

His head whipped up when his phone began to ring to the, and he quickly answered, “Orion?”

His heart eased when his brother’s voice said down the line, “Hey Dime.”

Diomedes sighed the sigh of a long-suffering older brother, but couldn’t help his smile.

“Are you alright?”

Orion hesitated before saying, “Not really. But I need help. My soulmate is going after the Divine, and I know I can’t stop her.”

Diomedes felt his heart sink again, but he said without second thought, “Whatever you need, I’ll provide. But we’re sitting down to talk after. Now, tell me everything.”

And so Orion unloaded the long, complex story onto his brother.

 

Artemis came home to Orion sitting in their room on the phone, and so left him to his conversation.

Instead, the brunette sought out Hermes.

She found him in Apollo’s bedroom, sitting on the bed, holding a picture of the two of them.

It had been taken a little under a year ago, when they’d still been living on their little farm. Apollo had insisted on a water-balloon fight for their birthday, and she’d agreed.

What had unraveled was the most intense, unyielding, taken-way-too-seriously water-balloon fight that had ever happened. It had lasted for nearly a full 24 hours, and all kinds of tactics, attacks, and use of powers had been permitted. Artemis had caught the two of them off guard, and had slaughtered them with a stockade of balloons. They’d the ganged up on her and chased her around for hours until Artemis had yielded.

She’d taken the photo afterwards, just after dawn when they’d all been dirty and wet and hungry, but happier than they’d been in a while.

Apollo had tackled Hermes when he’d tried to say he would have won without him, and the two had rolled around wrestling in the dirty.

Artemis had paused her cackling long enough to spray them with the hose and snap a picture of their faces, the most hilarious, exaggerated mixture of shock, betrayal, and anger, before she’d gone inside to put on soup from the day before on to heat up and shower.

“Hey,” Artemis said softly, glancing at Hermes.

He didn’t look at her, but he sighed, leaning his shoulder into her.

“I’m going after the Divine. Do you want in?”

Hermes glanced over, “When? What’s the plan?”   
“In 4 days it’s a full moon. I plan to tip off the Conquerors when and where to attack to cause a distraction. I want to sneak in at dusk, find Gaia, and kill her. Then we have to take out her second in commands.”

Hermes worked his jaw, glanced at the photo, then nodded, setting it beside him on the bed, “I’m in.”

Artemis smiled, “Good. Don’t let on to the others we’re planning anything. They won’t agree to go along with this, and Persephone will take action of some kind to stop us.”

 

Orion found Artemis outside after he finished his call with his brother. Wandering from the house, he shuffled carefully across the space he couldn’t see to Artemis’ side, sitting cross-legged beside her.

“I know you’re planning something.”

Artemis glanced at him and hummed, before she turned back to look at whatever was before her.

“I’m always planning something.”

Orion took her hand, “Let me help.”

She squeezed his hand, “This is something you can’t help with, love.”

Orion wanted to rebuke that, but before he could, she was looking at him, eyes soft, one hand cupping his cheek tenderly.

“The Divine know where we are. Ares and Aphrodite died at our hands, and I don’t have doubt they’ve taken measures of some kind to ensure they can find us again no matter what.”

Her hands felt heavenly against his skin as she shifted to straddled his lap and began to press kisses across his face. Her voice was gentle, seeming almost content as she looked at him like she’d never seen anything more precious than him and never would, a direct contrast to her words.

“I’ve no doubt our time on this earth will be short no matter what we do. All I want is to savor what time we do have. We’ve spent all the time we’ve known each other in mourning, at odds, or apart. I want no more of that.”

Orion’s hands came up to catch her wrists, and he kissed her palm as she pressed the back of her fingers to his face.

“I will make sure you survive this.”

Artemis’ smile was almost indulgent as she eased him back to lay against the grass, leaning over him. Her dark hair fell in a dark curtain around them, and she whispered as she brushed her lips to his in prelude of a real kiss.

“A lovely sentiment, but unrealistic.”

Before his mind could process her words, Artemis’ lips caught his in a real kiss, moving as if to devour him. Orion jolted upwards a little, arms winding tight around her as he kissed her back.

Artemis’ hands found his shoulder’s, holding tight as her tongue flicked against his lips and her hips settled more firmly against his own.

Orion groaned into her mouth, and both Artemis and Orion held tight to the other as they lost themselves to each other.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I put off world building mostly because I like, really, really need to sleep, but the next chapter will involve world building and also actual tactical planning, but no fighting yet. So yeah, enjoy

Artemis woke just before dawn to Orion’s blazing heat at her back, and the cool night air to her front. Slowly, she took a deep breath, and opened her eyes, shifting to gaze at the stars, at the slow creeping of the grey and pink of dawn edging over the eastern horizon.

Orion’s arms were around her waist, his face buried against her shoulder. She knew she shouldn't be this comfortable. She had slept outside, naked, with nothing but the blanket she’d been sitting onto shield them both from the cold ground. But she was. She was completely and utterly content, both physically and mentally, for the first time in a long time.

Artemis shoved back the guilt that was trying to encroach on her peace, and curled into Orion, closing her eyes as she held him close and did her best to enjoy this moment.

Here, she felt at home for the first time since she had awoken in the captivity that had begun this all. Her rooms in his compound had been a prison. Her home with her mother and brother had been, first, incomplete, and then a deadly trap set to spring closed at the slightest wrong move. Then it had been burned to the ground.

Orion’s compound hadn’t the time to become home before she was forced from it to preserve her sanity. The closest since had been the house she had been living in with Apollo and Hermes, but that had been both incomplete with its lack of Orion, and the gaping hole left in her by her mother.

That wound had healed, leaving a puckered pit in her heart, and Artemis knew she should feel too engulfed by the loss of her twin to feel this way. But Artemis could not make herself grieve. She’d been broken beyond repair by Apollo’s death, but there was nothing she had left to give. No more pain or grief or tears could be wrung from her. She had been sucked dry.

And she knew because of that, she could never fully love Orion. She could never give him all of her heart because of how much had been lost when it had shattered fully. But she gave him what she could, and surely that meant something.

With a sigh, Artemis opened her eyes again, gazing at the stars still visible. She recalled Leto and Hestia teaching her the constellations, how they changed and shifted, and how to find her way using them. Not that she had ever needed that knowledge. A nifty aspect of her powers was that at night at least, she was completely orientated. She only needed to bask in the light of the moon and glimpse the sky, and she knew where to go to be where she wanted to be.

Gods, she wished that didn’t just apply in a physical sense. She felt so lost now. Her mother dead. Her aunt dead. Her brother dead.  She had her cousins and Orion, and she could and would be content with such a group. But she still felt like if anyone drifted even a little she’d float away into the abyss and never be seen again.

One thing besides revenge grounded her. Orion. Her very soul made flesh. Now so very vulnerable without his sight. She couldn’t let him near to Gaia or the compound. She needed him safe, she needed him far, far away from the fight she was about to pick. Her entire body shuddered as her eyes slid closed.

But that would do no good if she did not survive this. Her chest ached at the thought of survival.

She knew what she would do if she hadn’t been bonded to Orion. She would charge into battle with the light of a dozen moons and fight her way to Gaia. She would cut the head from the snake, and then… Then she would likely become much more careless. Artemis would fight until, inevitably, unavoidably, she was killed by one of her kin.

But she was bonded. She had Orion to think of. When she went into battle she risked his life as well as hers.

Artemis’ peace was ruined. She wanted to scream.

Orion’s voice startled her when he spoke, voice raspy against her neck, sending shivers down her spine, “I know what you’re thinking about.”

Artemis looked at him, “What am I thinking of then?”  
“How you will leave me in two days time with Hermes to sneak into the Divine’s compound and assassinate your grandmother.”

Artemis blinked, “Oh.”

Orion smirked, “Yeah, oh.”

He propped himself up on his elbows and cupped her cheek, stroking her face with his thumb, “You are more precious than anything to me. I want to be with you when you go after her.”

Artemis frowned, “If you go, my family will know you’re my weakness, they will attack you, and they will kill you.”

Orion sighed, and his voice was sad, but not angry when he spoke, “I know. Which is why I’ve called in a favor from my older brother, the leader of the conquerors, and he has agreed to attack the Divine on the night you will as a distraction.”

Artemis quirked a brow, “I take it ambition runs through the family?”

He laughed, “To say the least. I built my empire through loyalty and a general dislike for the government. My brother did so through an actual, if mild, want to rule the world.”

Artemis stifled laughter, “What exactly does that mean?”

“It means he’s mostly just in a constant pissing contest with the US government from a safe distance and he’s got like 800 contingency plans to take over in like a week, but he’s too lazy to actually do it.”

Artemis bit her lip and grinned, “I’m going to get along so well with your family when I meet them, aren’t I?”

He grinned, “Alex already likes you. But yes. If and when you meet my family you will be terrifying and do terrifying things together. Hence why you have yet to meet any of them but my sister who was staying for a week when you met her.”

Artemis leaned up to kiss him, “Come on, let's get dressed and collaborate timing, placements, and attacks with your brother. We need to make this perfect.”

Orion nodded, kissing her back before standing up and helping Artemis to her feet. Together the pair donned cold, dew-wet clothes, and headed inside.

 

Diomedes grinned as a car came into view, engine rumbling as it sped down the gravel driveway.

Standing from where he stood on the porch, and poked his head into the house, calling inside, “They’re here. Be sure the war room is ready, and I want their rooms and meals ready within an hour.”

Slipping back out onto the porch,  Diomedes bounded down the steps to meet his brother as he got out of the car.

Two days had passed since their call. The full moon was tonight, and so tonight they would attack. It was just after dawn now. They would plan, and then sleep.

For now though, Diomedes was all too glad to give his little brother a bear hug.

“Orion!”

He heard a laugh that had to be Orion’s soulmate as he lifted the smaller man off his feet and squeezed him, but he ignored it in favor of embarrassing his little brother.

“Still the runt,” Diomedes laughed, setting his brother down.

Orion scowled, “Thanks.”

Diomedes gave a grin he new made people think him dim, and said brightly, “You’re welcome.”

Turning, he saw a woman with dark hair and eyes sidle up to Orion and slip an arm around his waist, kissing his cheek as she whispered something to him. Another man came up behind them, with dark skin, and black hair and eyes that glittered with mischief.

He was much shorter than the other two, standing around 5 foot 7. Diomedes’ held out his hand, shaking the woman’s hand.

“I’m Artemis, and this is my cousin Hermes, it’s nice to meet you.”

He shook her hand, “Diomedes, pleased to meet you as well.”

He turned, holding out his hand to shake Hermes’.

The small man skittered forward a step, and extended his hand. The moment their hands made contact, they both gasped.

Diomedes’ entire body went alight, every cell and nerve singing and alive as they’d never been before, and he took a half step closer to Hermes, though both of their eyes darted down to watch as their Marks wound across their hands and wrists.

Links of what looked to be fine gold chain shot across their skin, winding around their wrists, and up both of their arms,before coming back to link to the tips of each of their fingers. Each joint it passed was adorned with the likenesses of fine, glittering gems of blue, and green, and red, and a thousand other colors.

Diomedes looked back to Hermes’ face, eyes wide, and Hermes looked back at him, before he grinned, leaping forward to kiss Diomedes.

The tall man caught him easily, crushing him to his chest as they kissed. Their entire world shrinking down the the desperate, pulsing need beneath their skin.

Orion groaned, leaning into Artemis, who said in a faux-annoyed tone, “Please, do that somewhere I can’t see.”

Hermes laughed, parting, “You’re one to speak seeing as you two only just had sex together for the first time in our gods damned front yard.”

Artemis groaned, and Diomedes grinned, pressing his lips to Hermes’ neck.

“Want to find somewhere utterly scandalous where we may or may not get caught?”

Hermes grinned, “Yes. Fuck yes.”

Orion wanted to die as he heard his older brother and Artemis’ cousin vanish into his brothers house to do unspeakable things.


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writers block is kicking my ass. But, on the bright side this is a longer chapter, and I got in some mild character backstory/world building, and a smidgen of tactics. Next chapter they and the divine start wailing on each other :)

Hours later, around 9 am, Hermes and Diomedes found their way into the war room where Artemis and Orion had set up shop. Orion was sat at a table, and Artemis stood, staring down at a map that had not been there earlier that day, and a map.

Diomedes and Hermes came up beside her, “What are you looking at?”   
She jabbed a finger at the map, “The Divine’s compound. We’re trying to figure out the best entry point.”

Orion said softly, “Artemis says we have three options, the main gates, which are the highest guarded but should we breach them swiftly and by surprise, gives them the least time to prepare for an attack. We could approach from a forest service road that goes along the back half of the property. It would take a few hours to reach the houses from there on foot, but it’s not heavily guarded. The only downside is that it is heavily forested so any more than 10 people would be noticed by Gaia. The third option is through a hiking trail of the desert that backs the southern half of the property. It’s guarded, but minimal plant-life. The biggest issue with that one is if Zues was summoned before we reached a less exposed area he could take us out with lightning in a half second.”

Diomedes looked over the map, frowning, “We have a fairly short window of opportunity for this attack. Artemis needs the full moon in order to be able to truly have a chance against Gaia or her guard. We do not need an over large force, but we would be foolish to move in a small group.”

Orion shifted forward, “Why do we not need a large group? This is the Divine.”

Diomedes glanced to his brother, “We have been doing reconiconce while we waited for you to arrive. Gaia sent a party to negotiate with the United Nations only a few days ago. I can’t say who went or what they will do, but there were at least 15.”

Artemis raised her brows, “Thats a large number. They will be vulnerable. And they won’t expect anyone to know they’ve left.”

She looked back to the map, “Let us breach the front gate. They will not expect such a brazen attack.”

Diomedes nodded, “Very well. I’ll show you and Orion to your rooms so you can rest for a few hours. We leave at 7 so we will reach the Divine just after moonrise.”

Artemis nodded. 

Then she paused, then looked to Diomedes, “Do we have a telepath among the convoy?”

He nodded, and Artemis continued, “We will all need to have our minds fortified before we reach the compound. Some of the Divine’s most deadly tactics rely on a tag team of mental and physical attacks at once.”

Diomedes nodded once more, “Let’s get that done now, you can tell us what sort of powers we’ll be going up against, then we can rest.”

Artemis, Orion, and Hermes all followed as Diomedes left the room.

 

Persephone wanted to scream. Of course. Of fucking course. The full moon was tonight, and her dumb-asses had wandered off to attack the Divine. So now she and Nahia had to pack and go find them.

God damn it they were such dumb-asses. Of course they wouldn’t have asked the girl with the death-grip and the markswoman sniper who could give Artemis a run for her money to come with. Of fucking course.

 

Orion sat on their bed, watching Artemis pace through the room that he couldn’t see, combing out her hair, eyes distant with worries.

He sighed, leaning his head on his hand, “I want to come with you.”

Artemis’ head snapped towards him.

“You can’t do that.”

She set down her comb and came to sit beside him.

“I know I can’t be much help, but I can still use a shield.”

Artemis shook her head, leaning forward to cup his face, “No. You are blind, you would not be able to see the attacks of others without tapping into my sight, and that leaves your own body vulnerable to attacks.”

She paused, and sighed, “I can’t loose you, Orion. I have lost almost everything and everyone else that matters to me. Even if I somehow survived the severing of our bond, I wouldn’t be able to handle your death. It would break me.”

She smoothed a thumb over his cheek, “Just stay here. Give me something to fight for. Something to come back to. Please.”

Orion wanted to refuse. He wanted to seal himself to her side and demand she let him help her tonight. But he knew she was right. It stung and it made him angry at his own uselessness, but she was right.

So he nodded, “Fine.”

She smiled, bright as the sun, and nodded, “Would you braid my hair for me while I sharpen my extra blades?”

Orion nodded, and she turned, retrieving her comb, and a small duffle bag, before returning to the bed and sitting with her back to him. She handed him the comb, and pulled a knife from the bag, and then a whetstone, setting to work sharpening them.

Orion settled his frustration and fear and worry as he performed the task that soothes him a shocking amount.

Artemis still had a lot of hair, and it’s longer than it was two years ago, past her hips and hanging to just under her ass in forced braid-waves. He starts at her crown, combing it smooth and then taking a tiny section of hair centered around her almost-widows peak, and begins a french braid, firm and tight against her scalp, with each section so tiny the growth in almost unnoticeable.

He might not be able to fight with her, to defend her while she defends him, partners in life love, and battle as he longs to be, but he is not entirely unable to help her.

He can feel her muscles draining of tension, a stress and fear that was so constant it had become background noise drain away from her body and mind. It was a comfort to know he was a comfort. That at the very least, he could help her prepare for battle.

“Could I give you a massage?” Orion asked as he tied off the braid.

Artemis paused in her blade sharpening, then flashed him a grin over her shoulder, “That eager to get your hands on me again?”

Orion snorted, “Sure, because you totally need the ego boost of me admitting that. But seriously, it would help you get to sleep.”

She considered, then nodded, standing to put away her swords, then coming back to the bed and stripping shamelessly before lying down.

“Would you wake me an hour before it’s time to head out so I can get ready?”

Orion nodded, “Sure thing.”

If all he could do to help was to help her prepare, then he was going to do it right.

 

When Artemis woke, she felt like she was in a dream still. Everything was slow and hazy as she stood and dressed in leggings and a tank top, donning armor with Orion’s help. He rebraided her hair, then wound it into a bun at her nape. 

Her blades were sharpened, her body prepared. 

Artemis turned to Orion, and cupped his face in her hands.

She needed to see him, to touch and hold and feel him once more before she slipped back into an approximation of who she had been two and a half years ago, before she had met him.

Then, she had been powerful, fearless, a tactical genius who could and would have ruled beside her grandmother in whatever new world she was planning.

She had always been a survivor before. Always ready to fight to defend what was hers. And she was still, but in such a vastly different way that there was no real comparison.

Before, she had protected her family from the consequences of their actions. Now, she delivered those consequences.

Artemis leaned in, brushing her lips against Orion’s gently, pressing herself close to him.

She pulled back just enough to speak, ignoring the eyes on them.

“I have every intention of coming back to you, animus meus. But should I die, you must know that you have all of my heart. You are my soul, my heart, my life, and for all I with fight for vengeance and justice for my mother and brother tonight, I fight also to come back to you.”

Orion buried his face in her neck.   
“I love you.”

Artemis kissed his temple, “And I you.”

Then Artemis turned and walked out to where the trucks full of warriors waited and climbed in.

 

Hermes sat beside his newly discovered soulmate as he watched his cousin say good-bye to her own.

Diomedes squeezed his hand, and Hermes looked to him.

“So,” the other man drawled, “I’ve got intel and all, but you actually lived with these people, you’ve seen their defences and know how they fight. What are the chances we get out of this alive?”

Hermes sighed and leaned back in his seat, “Not good. It’s not a suicide mission per say, but if they hadn’t gone after Apollo, I wouldn’t have touched this mission, no matter who asked or what was offered. Gaia and her forces are strong. This mission relies far, far too heavily on luck and chance for me.”

Diomedes sighed, “That’s hardly reassuring. So why are you doing this now? What was Apollo to you that you would risk this?”

Hermes glanced at Diomedes, “He, Artemis, and Leto, they are my true family. Apollo was my brother as much as he was Artemis’, and he was my best friend. When I came out to my mom, she was…. Less than accepting. Leto was already mother two two children who would never breed Gaia an army of perfect killer Gifted, so she took me as well. Gaia killed Apollo, and Leto, and also Hestia, who I wasn’t quite as attached to, but she was sweet. I might not have been able to protect my family, but I can sure as hell avenge them.”

The intensity in Hermes’ tone shocked Diomedes’ a little, but also confirmed to him that, yes, this needed to be done. They had hurt his soulmate, and hell if Diomedes’ wouldn’t make them pay for that.

Diomedes paused, then asked, “What do you mean breed Gaia an army of Gifted?”

Hermes gave him a smile that was not quite condescending, “There’s a reason that only Gifted are allowed in the Divine. Non-gifted are killed, or force-ably sterilized and enslaved. Gaia sees herself as the all mother, a goddess of fertility and power to rule over all. To be unable or be unwilling to have children is a betrayal of Gaia and the Divine’s most basic command, to grow. Artemis got a pass because she was one of the only agents to leave the base, and they needed her unshakable. Apollo was ignored because the Divine considers men a secondary concern. But, I’m both a trans man, and gay. I’m like 79% sure the only reason I wasn’t executed was because my powers are passive.”

Diomedes bristled, but restrained from saying anything.

Hermes squeezed his hand.

Before either could break the silence, the back door opened, and Artemis climbed in.

Diomedes pressed a button on the radio, and said into a mic, “Alright people, let’s move out.”

Artemis leaned forward between the front seats as they began to move, “What are we working with exactly? Who have we got?”

Diomedes didn’t turn his eyes from the road, “Almost all of my people are gifted, but we’ve got 7 who aren’t. We have exactly 34 people, and they’re all some of the most deadly I’ve ever met. Our plan consists of break in, engage everyone we can in our fire-fight, then the three of us find Gaia while invisible, and we kill her and anyone who gets in our way.”

Artemis rolled her eyes, “I mean, duh. But what kind of fire-power are we looking at? Because the Divine is never to be taken lightly.”

Diomedes’ hands clenched on the steering wheel, “I know. Why don’t you tell us what we’re up against before we have to go on radio silence.”

He pressed a button and handed her the mic headset.

She put it on, and said calmly, “There are probably around 23 people in the compound we are hitting at the moment. There are 4 compounds around the world. We are hitting the most heavily guarded one, and the one Gaia lives in. The Divine has suffered losses recently, many. It is likely Zues and Daemones were sent away as a show of strength. The people we will be fighting are all Gifted, and all of them are dangerous.”

A voice came over the radio, “What kind of ideologies does the Divine operate on? What should we be aware of as far as how they will be thinking?”

Artemis leaned back, “Well, we all know that different religions have different sources of the Gifted and where they came from. In christianity they are humans gifted by god to become shepards and protectors, in celtic folklore they’re the offspring of the weakest of the fae and humans, in greek mythology, they’re the children of the gods delegated with the handling of humanity. The Divine believes that they are gods made mortal to further Gaia’s agenda. There’s a reason we are all named for deities. They will not hesitate to kill, die, or suffer at her order. They are still human, they will not needlessly harm themselves, but if it will slow or kill any of you, they will willingly go through extreme pain. To them, death simply means they are no longer bound to mortal forms.”

Diomedes scowled, “Always the crazies.”

Artemis glanced at his GPS, then said, “We have two miles before we need to go on radio silence, so I’ll outline what sort of abilities we will be facing once more before we do.”


	42. Chapter 42

So I'm taking a break for this for a few weeks. I can't write what I feel to be an adequate ending to this story while I'm so stressed, so until I'm able to end this with the bang I feel it deserves, I'm gonna be gone from here. Once I can make my life feel like its not collapsing around me, I'll be back. Until then! :)


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, it's a holiday miracle! I'm posting again! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but there's not much left so hopefully now that I'm starting to get out of this rut, the next one will be up sometime this month??? Who knows really, but I promise this has not and will never be abandoned, mostly because this is one of the only original fics I've ever gotten this close to completing, and I refuse to give up when it's this close to being done.  
> Also Persephone and Nahia are adorable badasses together, and I look forward to the chewing out Artemis and Hermes will be getting from them for running off without them.

Orion sat on the bed provided to him, stock still, trying to ease his heart-rate. His fingers twisted in the blankets, and he shivered with nerves.

He hadn’t been so far from Artemis since they’d been reunited, and it felt wrong. The stretching of the bond, the pinpoint of her on his mental map drawing further and further away.

Everything about this felt wrong, though he couldn’t say why, exactly. Besides the obvious fact that his soulmate was charging into a dangerous fight without him to watch her six.

Slowly, he breathed in, breathed out, and then Orion leaned into his and Artemis’ bonds.

The transition was slower this time.

He felt the shift of her emotions sliding against his mind. Worry, fear, determination, grief and pain. A shock of surprise, and then her psyche leaning into his, shifting to meld.

Her thoughts flowed into him, then her senses filtered in, until Orion was essentially sitting backseat to her drive.

Her mind embraced him like a hug, and a mental litany of ‘ _ gotta keep them safe, gotta keep them safe, gotta keep them safe- _ ’ was suddenly looping in the back of Orion's mind, paired with flashes of faces, his, Hermes, Persephone, Nahia, Diomedes.

Her voice met his ears past that, listing off, “Athena and Zues will be leading any counter attacks we encounter. Both should be considered a primary threat to be killed on sight. Athena has enhanced speed, strength, agility, healing, endurance, and an instant ability to use any weapon she lays her hand on perfectly. Zues can control the weather, fly, and manipulate electricity of any kind, including that found in the human body. Hades and Poseidon will likely be covering their backs. Hades is gifted with the death touch, and he can induce nightmarish hallucinations in a single mind at any given time. Poseidon can manipulate any kind of liquid, but only within a 40 to 50 foot radius, and he is vulnerable to distance attacks. Khione can control and manipulate cold and ice, but she has a fairly small range, and has always been very bad at anticipating ranged attacks.

Tyche can steal luck, and due to that, you don’t leave this shit to chance with her. Demeter is a mini-Gaia, except less powerful. She’ll heal pretty quickly from almost any wound, so bullet or blade to the head, or decapitation is the best way to go. In general, if you can’t identify who you’re fighting, just decapitate them. Quick and efficient. Ideally, they won’t have time to get into your head, they won’t have time to deal back to many blows, just end it as quickly as you can, as surely as you can.”

Orion felt approval wash through him, and then he felt Artemis preen under it, and he knew that his face was smiling, where it rested, distant and far off in his bed.

She cleared her throat, attention turning back to the task at hand, “We don’t want this to last, and we don’t want to give them a chance to get themselves together and retaliate.”

Her consciousness was suddenly cold and hard, unyielding. Slipping into a mindset that was forgiven, but felt like what she had been like when they’d first met, more than anything he’d felt from her since.

“When we breach the gates, Diomedes, Hermes, and I will break off from the main group under the cover of Hermes’ invisibility. Everyone else will raid the compound, kill anyone you come across, and burn what remains. We will be going into the main house, finding Gaia, and ending her. Two other smaller groups will be splitting off under their own disguises to plant explosives in any structure they can find. After we will rejoin you and ensure our secondary and third objectives have been completed. Once Gaia and her right hands have been killed, we retreat, regardless of who or what remains. Once we are at the minimum safe distance, we detonate the explosives. Does anyone have questions or concerns?”   
The comms were silent, before a round of ‘No, Ma’am’s’, could be heard. Orion felt pride wriggle in his chest.

Artemis’s satisfaction mingled with his own, and then there was only determination, and rage in her mind.

She nodded firmly, and spoke into the comms, “Very good. We will be going dark now. No more communications outside of those in your own trucks until we breach the gates.”

Artemis’ eyes flicked to Diomedes as he pressed a few buttons on the dash, then spoke into his comms, “Laverna, apply the shield's in 3, 2, 1.”

Artemis’ eyes slid back to where the rest of the caravan should be following them, and Orion felt her lips twitched. Even with her keen archers eyes, she saw nothing. Not even a glimmer to suggest there was anything to see.

Artemis projected a thought to Orion, and he laughed in their minds.

_ Your brother has some very impressive employee’s. Once this is over I may try to steal them. _

Orion projected a response once he was done laughing.

_ I’m fairly certain my brother would like to see you try. _

Artemis chuckled, then turned her attention to her weapons and armor.

Orion listened to the thrum of her thoughts, the push and pull of her emotions, and let himself fade into a background hum for her. She didn’t need his thoughts and emotions distracting her. Orion would watch through her eyes for anything she missed, and to assure himself she was alright, but he couldn’t afford to let his presence distract her.

Orion watched through her eyes as she tugged and readjusted the straps of her armor, a special brand of Kevlar that Diomedes had been obsessing over for years, thin, flexible, and lightweight, and probably as far as anyone would be getting with that technology for a long while yet.

Diomedes had given Artemis the very best of his collection of armor, and she wore a small arsenal, at least a dozen daggers, twin swords, a shotgun strapped across her back, pistols at each hip, a glock at her ankle, and a few other assorted weapons on her persons, including a garrote, a pack of poison-dipped throwing needles, three tasers of varying voltage, and spaces on her person for her moon weapons to rest without interference.

Orion probably shouldn’t have been as turned on as he was at the idea of Artemis using the garrote to choke out a guard, or tasering someone until they were a twitching, drooling mess. Oh well, it was something to be explored he supposed.

A wave of amusement from Artemis, and they both settled into silence as they approached the compound.

When he saw the front gates of the compound come into view from between thick tree’s through Artemis’ eyes, Orion could distantly feel his stomach sink, and he focused on keeping himself connected to Artemis as Hermes slipped out of the cab with a round of explosives.

  
  


Persephone’s hands were tight on the steering wheel as she and Nahia barreled at top speed down a highway, heedless of the traffic laws they were breaking.

Nahia’s mind through their bond was clearly at war, her panic warring with her efficient tactician known-how as she flicked open her guns, counting bullets, counting clips, and then slid them into their holsters all over her body.

She cursed when a bump in the road sent them flying, and then the truck jerked as Persephone struggled for control when they landed, dropping a spare clip to the floor.

She picked it up, scrabbling for a moment before shoving it into one of her pockets.

Persephone checked the rear-view mirror for any tails, before taking a sharp left, then speeding up some more.

“I’ve got a stash a few miles up, mostly weapons.”

Nahia glanced up, picking up on Persephone’s implication, “Mostly? What else you got?”   
Persephone’s mouth twisted in a better approximation of a smile, “A years ago, Hephaestus and Eris were working on a project together. Gaia scrapped it after a few months without any useful outcomes, but they kept it up in their free time They managed to produce a few of what they were going for, but it was too taxing on both of their abilities to be reliable, so they gave me what they made and gave up. I managed to grab them before we left.”

Nahia’s brow furrowed as she checked that her holsters were firmly strapped in place, “Eris… I remember you told me what her deal was, but I can’t remember.”

Persephone jerked the wheel to turn right, “She can block other Gifted abilities.”

Nahia glanced at Persephone, “What were they working on?”

Persephone grinned, “They created an object that can deaden the ability of any gifted within a half mile radius. So, say, if we were to use them to sneak into the compound with that pretty little sniper rifle I’ve been saving for our anniversary, and set you up on a plateau with a fan-fucking-tastic line of sight into the place my moron cousins were planning an assault, no one could use their powers to sense us, and we’d be safe from close range retaliation.”

Nahia grinned back, “You’re so smart. Is it weird I find it hot that you can come up with such an amazing strategy on the fly with little to no prep time? Fuck it, I don’t care, it’s hot.”

Persephone laughed, slowing as they approached her stash.

When they skidded to a halt, they both hopped out, and Persephone walked to the small shack, throwing open the door.

She led Nahia to the shelving unit in the back, and pulled a case almost as tall as she was off the second tallest shelf, hauling it to the table, and setting it out for Nahia to inspect.

Nahia slid over to the table, running a dark hand across the matte case, before flipping a few latches, and throwing open the top. She sucked in a breath, then whistled lowly as she traced a hand over the parts, disassembled, nestled in dark leather.

She picked up the scope, inspected it, and then picked up another piece.

She breathed out, low and a little hoarse, “Have I told you recently how much I love you, because I really, really do…”

Nahia inspected every inch of the gun for a few moments, eyes wide, before setting it all back and shutting the case.

Persephone looked smug and proud at her wife’s reaction to the gift, “I’m glad you like it. Now, lets load this all up and get going so we can save my idiot cousins.”

Nahia nodded, heaving the case off the table. Persephone stifled a laugh, because she knew she would look just as silly. Persephone was 5 foot 4 on a good day, and Nahia was maybe 5 foot 2. The case was 5 feet by one foot, and they both looked a little ridiculous toting around such a large container, no matter how deadly either of them would be with the weapon inside.

Persephone leaned over to peck Nahia’s cheek, grabbed a small case with the Gift suppressors, and they headed back to the truck.

As they climbed in, and began driving towards the Divine’s compound, Nahia glanced back at the case, and breathed, “After this babe, I’m going to drag you somewhere very dark, and very private, and show you just how very much I appreciate the new rifle. Because I really, really do.”

Persephone flashed her a smirk, “It was meant to be your anniversary gift.”

Nahia gave her a smirk back, “And I hope you realize anything you give me now that can top that pretty little toy, will ensure we don’t leave our bed for several days.”

Persephone laughed, and then they lapsed into silence as they both mentally prepared for the coming fight.


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided I'm gonna put up two ends to this story, and let you guys decide what you like. This and the next chapter will be the happy one. The one after that will be the angsty one. But yeah, we're basically at the end, so I hope you like it :)

Nahia and Persephone reached the desert portion of the property within a few hours, and Persephone navigated them across backroads and through the dimming dusk for several hours before they pulled up at the base of a Plateau.

It was not quite dusk yet, the sun lingering on the horizon behind them as Nahia and Persephone hurriedly pulled out their gear, and began their climb.

They’d agreed during the drive up that Persephone would sit in with Nahia and help her get set up, and then stay hidden in the dessert just in range of the devices, and take out anyone who tried to go after Nahia to eliminate the sniper taking out the Devine’s people. Nahia would kill people until she ran out of bullets, or until the siege ended, whichever came first, then they’d be getting the fuck out of there as quickly as possible.

Nahia was squatted down beside Persephone, assembling the gun with quick, steady hands. Persephone crouched low on the plateau, peering down at the give of desert into grasses into forest below, with the houses and structures of the Divine sprinkled in a wide circle circle. Gaia’s structures were the only ones actually in the forest, in between the gates that backed onto the desert, and the front gates, surrounded by trees for miles in that direction.

Persephone gritted her teeth. It looked wrong. Persephone was gifted with death, and she could tell with barely a glance that the land was thick with life it was not meant to have. It was meant to be desert, desert in every direction for miles. Gaia’s spot of forced fertility was wrong.

Persephone could tell, even through the dulling of the gift suppressors, that there was too much life in the grasses, in the tree’s, in the very soil. It wouldn’t return to its natural state for far, far too long. This place would be haunted and cursed with the echo of Gaia’s infectious, parasitic power long after she died.

Nahia settled the riffle, and settled down at the end, peering through the scope, adjusting it, before flashing Persephone a grin and a thumbs up.

Persephone brushed her cheek with a kiss, and began to ease back, “I’ll send up the signal if you need to start taking out anyone who is coming for you directly for any reason, but until or unless I do, I need you to focus on the compound.”

Nahia nodded, pulling the dark tarp over her body and head to disguise herself against the plateau, “Got it. Kick their ass babe.”

Persephone grinned, “Will do.”

Just as darkness fell, just as the moon rose, full, and fat, and bright in the sky, just as Persephone reached her position atop a cluster of rocks that jutted from the ground, fire lit the sky at the front gate, and the world shook.

Persephone cocked her guns, and took a deep breath, just as Nahia’s first shot sounded, and a round of bullets whizzed through the air above her.

Chaos broke out.

 

Artemis led her team through the gates, invisible, and the rest of their forces followed close behind. She, Hermes, and Diomedes ducked around the fight that was already breaking out, she went right, and Hermes and Diomedes went left, and all three laid down cover fire for their forces as they ran for Gaia’s house.

Hermes chirped through the comms they wore, “There’s a sniper playing for our team, raining down hell from Persephone’s thinking spot. Wanna guess who’s come to back us?”

Artemis laughed as she aimed a pistol, took the shot, and blew out Hades’ knee, moving on without bothering to finish him. Someone would.

She took a few more shots, then tossed away the empty guns, and summoning her bow and quiver.

She didn’t stop running as she shot arrow after arrow, not bothering for kill shots if they could slow her down, and then summoning her arrows back in turn.

Hermes and Diomedes appeared at her side just as they reached the end of the drive, and Artemis nocked an arrow.

She glanced at Hermes, “We ready?”

Hermes nodded, “Let’s get this done.”

Artemis nodded, and kicked the front doors open with a bang.

They ghosted up the suspiciously empty front hall, and Diomedes paused at the door to the parlor to tuck a pack of explosives under a dresser.

They stalked through the house, silent and invisible, Diomedes hiding bombs in every room, but they found no one.

The house was empty. Orion felt uneasy, from where he sat in the back of his mind. Something was wrong, they could both feel it.

Artemis paused at a desk, at the large box atop it, with her name written on the top.

Slowly, she opened it, and her stomach dropped.

Written in her grandmother’s elegant script, a note.

_I’m sure you know what comes next, child._

Atop it, a collection of pinned butterflies, all alive and struggling against the needles through their wings, all in blue or white or silver or black. Her colors. And beside that. A replica of a painting she’d seen a hundred times as a child, hanging behind her grandmother’s desk. A scene of grass and sky, light and life. Only it had been twisted to show a storming sky and dead plants.

She turned, running from the box, from what it meant.

Hermes and Diomedes followed her, Diomedes’ dropping the rest of the explosives in the living room as they passed.

She called over the comms, “Retreat, this is a trap! End any fights, disengage, get to the cars, get out!”

Orion’s presence in the back of her mind flared, and a thought struck her as their forces sprinted for the end of the drive. A shadow flashed in the corner of her eye, ahead, but when she looked, there was nothing.

_What is Gaia doing? Why is she the only one missing?_

Artemis shook her head, and ripped open the car door. It was driving as soon as she was in, and she sent back a thought.

_I don’t know. We’ll figure it out._

Artemis flinched when the bombs went off, lighting the sky, lighting everything. Out of the window, Artemis could have sworn she saw a head of blonde curls, but she she looked, she didn’t see anything through the darkness.

Orion suddenly screamed through their bond.

_GET OUT OF THE CAR THEY PLANTED BOMBS!_

Artemis went cold, and screamed into the comms, “THEY PLANTED BOMBS, GET OUT!”

Artemis shoved open her door, just as Diomedes grabbed Hermes, and all three went diving out the doors. Ten seconds later, all of the cars exploded.

 

Gaia strolled through the forests she had created with her only living child, both silent, the burning ruins of her compound to their backs, and sighed. So much work, for nothing. Artemis hadn’t been the problem. Sure, she was a problem, she had just proven that much with her raid, but she had not been the problem.

The problem had been Ares and Aphrodite and the ideas they had gotten when Artemis’ group had fled. They’d gotten ideas of freedom and betrayal, and being able to destroy the Divine from the inside. And then they’d panicked when Artemis had spoken to Athena, and then everything had gone to hell.

Hecate had stayed, to ensure Gaia wouldn’t be followed by lingering traitors. Zues at her shoulder, they had walked into Gaia’s forest knowing they would not emerge.

Less than an hour later, the sky had lit up in an explosion, and not 20 minutes after that, the compound had died in a raging inferno so intense Gaia had felt it even from where she was.

Then they had waited at the roadside, watching as Artemis and her team had gotten into their cars. They’d driven off, and Gaia had waited, waited until her harvest sense screamed, just after a few people threw themselves out of their cars, and then she pressed the button on the detonation remote.

Fire. Gaia had never really liked fire. She thought it sloppy, unreliable, inelegant. But she supposed the only way to truly stomp out life that might choke out her gardens was to burn it to the ground, then salt and burn that for good measure.

Gaia watched Artemis groan, and struggle to get up, though it was obvious she had a broken leg, and her hand flashed out.

Wood spiked like icicles in reverse, and Artemis screamed as they pinned her in the air. Pinned like a butterfly.

Gaia waved a hand, gliding forward, and the branches shifted, tipping Artemis precariously, tilted upside-down, and blood began to to rush down the spikes of wood hooked in her flesh.

Artemis’ dark eyes met her, filled with rage and fear, and Gaia lifted a hand to stroke her cheek.

Artemis flinched, and a spike of hurt shot through Gaia, irrational as it was. Artemis’ eyes flicked to something behind Gaia, and Gaia felt a stab of anger at Zues for whatever he did that got Artemis’ attention.

She sighed, and tilted her head, “Oh my little moon, this was never what I wanted.”

Artemis bared teeth slightly pink with blood, “We reap what we sow grandmother.”

Gaia sighed, and raised her hand, “I had always hoped to one day give you the Divine, immortality. I had hoped you might had grown tall and proud under my care. I had hoped you would be more.”

Artemis twitched, as if she wanted to lash out despite the wood worming under her flesh and around her bones, and her eyes flicked to behind Gaia again, “You are cruel, and crazy.”  
Gaia’s hand clenched, and the wood squeezed her joints briefly, “No. But I was a fool if I thought you might make me proud where not even my own soulmate could not. Don’t you see, Artemis, they are weakness, they are stagnation! You cannot seize what is yours if you continue to let him weaken you.

There was a soft scuffling sound from behind Gaia, but Artemis’ eyes barely flickered, so it was only Zues coming closer.

Artemis began glowing, and the wood touching her began to burn as she spoke, “They aren’t he is strength, he is my will to fight given flesh!  
Gaia snarled, “I should have killed you as a babe! I should have-”

Gaia was cut off with a loud bang as she was shot in the head.

Artemis cried out as her bonds vanished and she was dropped, but still managed to sit up in time to wrap her arms around Orion as he collided into her.

She gasped, holding him tight, “How did you-?”

Orion huffed, shoving his pistol into the holster at his ankle, “It wasn’t that hard to figure out how to kill them with how they blocked you from my sight and your eyes to look through. The had part was being sneaky enough to get up behind the big guy without alerting either of them.”

Artemis held him to her hard, “I love you.”

Orion nodded, petting her hair, “I love you too. Now lets collect your cousins and my brother and go home.”

Artemis nodded, and with her as the eyes, and him as a crutch, hobbled forward to look for Hermes and Diomedes.


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is the good ending, and I think it's a pretty decent one if I do say so myself! The next chapter will be the one I've been planning since the beginning that I somehow found my way back too, so that one might feel more natural. I'll probably re-arrange the chapters at some point, since this is technically the alternate ending. I'll probably go back and re-write/edit all of the chapters over the course of several months, just so you're all aware too :) I'll probably squeeze in some more character moments, foreshadowing, world building, plot development, and those sort of things that I felt I could do a lot better on with some work now that its mostly done.  
> Gonna be honest, I'm so proud of this. I'm horrible about keeping on top of these things, and I've just been stretched so thin, and been through so much these past few years, the fact that I've pretty much finished this story is just a big deal too me. I finished what is essentially a book. One that still needs a lot of fucking work before it's really done, yeah, but still!! So happy!  
> Hope you all enjoyed this story, and as always, any and all feedback on what you thought, things I could do better, and things I did right are always appreciated.

It had to be some kind of miracle that all of the people that really mattered to Artemis survived. They found Hermes and Diomedes just off the road, a dozen or so yards behind the flaming mass of metal that had been their car.

They were in the dark, unnaturally quiet woods, all animal and nature sounds having cut off abruptly the second Gaia had been killed, leaving only the sound of fires raging.

Both were streaked in ash and dirt, cuts and bruises and scrapes covering every inch of them. Diomedes was knocked out, but he was breathing, and Hermes didn’t seem too concerned, so he’d likely be fine. Hermes had an arm clutched to his side in the way that Artemis knew meant his shoulder was dislocated, and his shirt was dark with blood at his side. Artemis knew she didn’t look much better, with her broken leg, and the left arm of her shirt torn away to tie a bandage from where she had had to pull shrapnel out of her right one

Hermes had taken one look at Orion and Artemis clinging to each other, and nodded, staggering to his feet.

“She’s dead?”

Artemis nodded, and gestures for him to come forward, “I’ll set your shoulder and look at your side. Did you check Diomedes head?”

Hermes hobbled forward, and Artemis’ eyes flicked to the ankle he was being careful on, but he wasn’t limping so much that it had to be broken, so Artemis didn’t said anything.

Hermes huffed, and he swayed before stopping in front of them, words slurring a little, “His head wasn’t split open anywhere, and I didn’t feel any cracks or fracturing on his skull. Just a goose-egg, but I think he’ll be up soon.”

Artemis nodded, “Good. On three.”

Orion let her guide his hands to still Hermes, and Artemis took a firm hold on the spot where his back became his shoulder, and Hermes’ arm.

“One, two-”

Artemis shoved the arm back into its socket, and flinched internally at Hermes’ bitten off scream of pain.

Diomedes came awake then, shoving himself up with a snarl, and whirling around.

His eyes landed on Hermes leaning into Artemis’s side, and Orion on Artemis’ other side propping them both up, Artemis smoothing a hand through Hermes’ hair and murmuring to him softly in Latin, and relaxed a little.

Artemis waved him over, and settled down on the ground, leg propped out in front of her, “Glad your up.”

Orion’s head swiveled to stare blindly in the direction his brother sat in, “Dimes?”

Diomedes sighed and chuckled, before making his way over to sit by them.

Artemis squeezed Orion’s hand, then said, “Hold my cousin while I check his side, would you?”

Diomedes hauled Hermes into his lap, sideways, so Artemis could look at his wound.

Orion shifted closer to where Diomedes had sat, and held his hand out, searching for his brother. Diomedes silently caught his brother’s hand in his, and gave it a quick squeeze.

Orion’s face went lax with relief, and he put his other hand between Artemis’ shoulder blades, his body sagging as he assured himself of her continued breathing.

Artemis frowned at the slice that marred Hermes’ side, and she sat back up, “It’s not overly deep. No real risk of internal damage, but the bleeding is pretty bad. Our options are stitches and sparing every bit of cloth we can for bandages, or cauterizing the wound, both without any kind of antiseptic or pain killer till we get to whoever’s safe house is closest.”

Hermes pursed his lips, eyes fluttering as he struggled to stay conscious despite the blood loss, “I have one in the next town.”

Artemis glanced up, “North or east?”

“East.”

Artemis chewed her lip, and shook her head, “That’s too far.”

She gave a crooked, strained half smile, “I could knock you out for it.”

Hermes snorted, “Not a chance in hell.”

He took a deep breath, then murmured in a half-drunk sounding voice, “Fuck it, fire’s supposed to be cleansing, right?”

Diomedes elbowed him, “What the fuck?”

Artemis snorted, “Jesus. Alright, does anyone have a lighter?”   
Diomedes flashed a smirk, and produced a small torch, the kind sold in pot shops.

Artemis hesitantly took it, “Do I want to know why you have this?”   
Diomedes gave an innocent smile, “Just in case.”

Artemis pursed her lips, and then shook her head, “Whatever.”

She yanked her belt free of her pants, and folded it over, “Bite down, and feel free to breath a finger or three of your choosing if it helps you stay still.”

Hermes nodded, and took Diomedes’ free hand, looking up as he braced the belt between his teeth, and closing his eyes.

Artemis felt a little sick even as she flicked the torch on, and studied the blue flame. God she hated this. She wanted to cry, but her eyes remained dry, and her hands steady.

“Sorry,” She muttered, then pinched the torn flesh together and put the flame to it.

The smell was almost worse for the fact that it just smelled like cooking meat, and Artemis wanted to scream. Hermes did, around the belt, or at least something close, as Artemis bent to her work. His body was ridged with the control of not arching away, shaking a little, and he was making a high, reedy sound of pain around the belt clenched between his teeth. Tears leaked freely from the corners of his eyes, clearing tracks free of ash and soot and blood down the sides of his face.

Artemis bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood, focusing everything she had to her task, working to get it done, and fast, so to ease Hermes’ pain. And partially so she would have it over before the bloodloss she could feel starting to make her woosy could affect her hands. But mostly to get this over for Hermes.

Finally it was over, and Artemis pulled away the torch, tossing it over her shoulder. She pulled off what remained of her long sleeved over-shirt, and began tearing it to strips, “Alright, I’ll bind the wound, and then we need to move. We don’t know if anyone is left of the Divine, if the other factions will come to assess damage, or anything. We need to get up, and start looking for a car. Once we get that, we can figure out who can drive us the 4 hours to Hermes’ safe house, and we can re-group.”

Diomedes squinted at her as she wound bandages around Hermes’ abdomen, “I need you to tell me one thing before we get moving.”

Artemis cocked her head, “What?”

“Who the fuck out of us do you think is in a decent enough shape to drive? I’m concussed as hell, Hermes’ is like, ten minutes from passing out, Orion is fucking blind, and you’ve got blood loss and a broken leg that will be making you incapable of driving safely within the next 20 minutes or so.”

Artemis grinned dopely. Coming down from adrenaline, the high of success, and a little bit drunk off blood loss, the combination of which was making her feel like she would either start giggling or crying at any minute. She tied off Hermes’ bandage, wincing when he hissed in pain, and leaning away.

“Guess we’ll see when we find a car.”

A sharp voice from the road snapped, “No, you fucking won’t, you stupid, stubborn, pig-headed-”

All of them turned to gaze at Persephone and Nahia, standing on the side of the road, making their way down into the trees towards them, Persephone on a rant about how stupid they all were for not asking for help when they knew full well they’d have said yes.

Artemis waved at Persephone, flopping sideways into Orion, “Sorry, Sephie.”

Persephone cut herself off at the unexpected nickname, studying the group, and then sighed, “We’ll talk about this later. Let's just get out of here.”

Nahia nodded, “Anyone who can stand, please do.”

Orion and Diomedes’ stood, and Hermes struggled to stand, before being hauled up by Diomedes, who put Hermes’ arm around his shoulders.

Persephone sighed, and with help, managed to get Artemis upright, leaning heavily against Orion, with Nahia on Hermes’ other side, and the group began towards the truck parked a few dozen yards up the road, parked just past the wreckage of the exploded vehicles.

Nahia paused, then adjusted Hermes closer to Diomedes, and darted to Persephone's’ side.

“Get them settled, I’ll check for any survivors.”

Persephone smiled, and leaned down to kiss her, “Be careful, scream if you need your big strong wife to come to your rescue.”

Nahia laughed, “Don’t worry. I’ll leave running into the flames to those who might survive it.”

Nahia jogged towards the fires that still burned

There was silence as the group neared the truck, right up until Artemis was carefully being settled with the other four in the back seat of the cab, trying to figure out how to accommodate her broken leg so that they could wait until they had a splint to set it. They didn’t even really have anything that could work as a field splint, and with how dark and unnaturally quiet it had gone, no one was willing to take wood from it.

They had been no sign other than the silence to indicate it, but with Gaia’s particular breed of abilities, they all knew madness was common. And after the mad gifted had been killed, it was said that the plants they had controlled took on a vicious, unnatural kind of sentience that led towards violence.

It always died out eventually, but none of them were willing to take wood from the forest so steeped in Gaia. Even if the stories weren’t true, leaving the broken leg was far preferable to using something Gaia had created to set it.

Artemis said to Persephone as she was settled and adjusted, “I’m sorry I went without you.”

Her head was lolled against Orion’s chest, and she was limp, and looked so profoundly sad and tired, as they no doubt all felt, that Persephone just shook her head.

“We’ll talk about it later, once we’re all safe and fed, and either on the good drugs or drunk.”

Artemis nodded, “Okay. Love you.”

Persephone sighed as she pulled back to shut the door, “You too, Artie.”

She shut the car door, and turned, eyes darting to try and find Nahia. She found her walking towards her, alone, back lit by fire.

Persephone jogged towards her, and gave her a once over where they met, “Anyone?”   
Nahia shook her head, “There was a man by one of the cars, but he was sitting in a pool of blood bigger than he was, and his femoral artery was severed on his left leg. A woman a few cars further was impaled clean through a tree branch. Another man with an enormous piece of shrapnel that cut him clean in two just off the road. No one else made it out of the cars. I didn’t bother to check the compound. Too far, and we saw the explosion from the desert. No one could have survived that.”

Persephone nodded, “Let's get out of here then.”

Nahia nodded, and they both climbed into the truck.

Persephone started the truck, and drove away, slowly enough to avoid unnecessarily jostling wounds, but faster than was probably safe.

When they passed out of the trees, Persephone silently hoped they caught on fire too, and drove on.

Nahia took her hand over the center console, and Persephone glanced Artemis and Orion, Hermes, and his apparent soulmate, in the back seat, and sighed. They’d move on. They’d deal. They always would. It was what they did.

When they passed onto paved road, Persephone sped up in hopes of making the drive to the safe house that Hermes had given her the address for in only a few hours. After all, just because she was fairly certain her idiots would survive, that was no reason to push their luck.

When Persephone saw the flash, and heard the shriek of police sirens behind them almost an hour later, she grinned, and put the pedal to the metal. Nahia gave her a devious grin, and pulled up a map of the nearby roads on her phone to help loose the pursuit.

Hermes gave a dazed laugh, and Persephone felt settled. If she was avoiding police pursuit, and Hermes was laughing, then all was as it should be. It wasn’t like anyone could ever catch them. They were too good for that.


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINAL CHAPTER AND ORIGINAL ENDING FUCK YEAH!!!! THIS BITCH IS DONE!  
> So, just in case anyone is wondering, the reason Persephone and Nahia survive is because they're inside of the gift blocker range when Gaia goddess nukes. And as for Hermes and Diomedes..... Whelp, it's a combination of the fact that Hermes is pretty distantly related to Gaia, and that Diomedes can shield from the weaponisation of others gifts, if not physical attacks, so he woke up in time and was like 99.9% shit was about to go down, and promptly shielded himself and Hermes since neither of them were in the shape to be running and hiding.

Gaia strolled through the forests she had created with her only living child, both silent, the burning ruins of her compound to their backs, and sighed. So much work, for nothing. Artemis hadn’t been the problem. Sure, she was a problem, she had just proven that much with her raid, but she had not been the problem.

The problem had been Ares and Aphrodite and the ideas they had gotten when Artemis’ group had fled. They’d gotten ideas of freedom and betrayal, and being able to destroy the Divine from the inside. And then they’d panicked when Artemis had spoken to Athena, and then everything had gone to hell.

Hecate had stayed, to ensure Gaia wouldn’t be followed by lingering traitors. Zues at her shoulder, they had walked into Gaia’s forest knowing they would not emerge.

Less than an hour later, the sky had lit up in an explosion, and not 20 minutes after that, the compound had died in a raging inferno so intense Gaia had felt it even from where she was.

Then they had waited at the roadside, watching as Artemis and her team had gotten into their cars. They’d driven off, and Gaia had waited, waited until her harvest sense screamed, just after a few people threw themselves out of their cars, and then she pressed the button on the detonation remote.

Fire. Gaia had never really liked fire. She thought it sloppy, unreliable, inelegant. But she supposed the only way to truly stomp out life that might choke out her gardens was to burn it to the ground, then salt and burn that for good measure.

Gaia watched Artemis groan, and struggle to get up, though it was obvious she had a broken leg, and her hand flashed out.

Wood spiked like icicles in reverse, and Artemis screamed as they pinned her in the air. Pinned like a butterfly.

Gaia waved a hand, gliding forward, and the branches shifted, tipping Artemis precariously, tilted upside-down, and blood began to to rush down the spikes of wood hooked in her flesh.

Artemis’ dark eyes met her, filled with rage and fear, and Gaia lifted a hand to stroke her cheek.

Artemis flinched, and a spike of hurt shot through Gaia, irrational as it was. Artemis’ eyes flicked to something behind Gaia, and Gaia felt a stab of anger at Zues for whatever he did that got Artemis’ attention.

She sighed, and tilted her head, “Oh my little moon, this was never what I wanted.”

Artemis bared teeth slightly pink with blood, “We reap what we sow grandmother.”

Gaia sighed, and raised her hand, “I had always hoped to one day give you the Divine, immortality. I had hoped you might had grown tall and proud under my care. I had hoped you would be more.”

Artemis twitched, as if she wanted to lash out despite the wood worming under her flesh and around her bones, and her eyes flicked to behind Gaia again, “You are cruel, and crazy.”   
Gaia’s hand clenched, and the wood squeezed her joints briefly, “No. But I was a fool if I thought you might make me proud where not even my own soulmate could not. Don’t you see, Artemis, they are weakness, they are stagnation! You cannot seize what is yours if you continue to let him weaken you.

There was a soft scuffling sound from behind Gaia, but Artemis’ eyes barely flickered, so it was only Zues coming closer.

Artemis began glowing, and the wood touching her began to burn as she spoke, “They aren’t he is strength, he is my will to fight given flesh!   
Gaia snarled, “I should have killed you as a babe!”

Artemis sneered, “But you didn’t. And now you’ll pay for that choice.”

Gaia’s eyes widened, and she turned, just in time to duck out of the way of Artemis’ blinded soulmate raising a gun.

He froze, then pursed his lips, and Gaia laughed, “I’ll have to serve you it seems then. Sever you and leave you alone in a world of ash to realize your mistakes.”

Gaia raised a hand, “Apologize to your soul Artemis, you just killed him.”

Artemis screamed, and glowed, power burning at the wood that held her, struggling, but it was too late.

Artemis ripped one arm free as a stalk crept up, level with the back of Orion’s head, and the spray of blood and gore that came from the rip of muscle and tendon churned Gaia’s gut. But she couldn’t stop this now. They’d come too far to stop.

So as Artemis screamed, Gaia waved her hands, and the stalk of wood shot forward, straight through Orion’s skull, just as Artemis’ restraints snaked away, dropping her.

And Artemis, bloody and wounded and broken, threw her head back and screamed. Gaia listened, and watched. Listened to the kneening, desperate ways that ripped out of Artemis’ throat violently, and watched as Artemis crawled forward, pausing on her knees, swaying between Orion’s corpse and Gaia’s form indecisively, like a snake.

Then, Gaia reached down inside her, found the roots she’d placed, and began sucking. The forest around them began to rot and crumble, ash and dust, and Gaia felt the rush of every ounce of fertility the earth had being drained into her.

She giggled, then laughed, then threw her head back and cackled. She was life, she was gifted with plants and immortality, and now she was death too.

She felt her knees give out, and Gaia crumbled to the ground as every piece of life that was hers to take came back to her. Plants, soil, sure, but the roiling of lava stilled and cooled too, the animals she had long made a part of her in this forest died as their lives became hers. And her children.

Gaia was immortal. She had wandered this earth for nearly 5 thousand years since her soulmate had disappointed her, since he had died. And while most of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and onward were in the Divine, almost every member her decedent, she had a considerable lineage in the outside world. And now, each of them, each person who was alive because of her was returning that life. All but one. Artemis she let stay, if only so she could watch her grand-daughter realize her power as she died through eyes that weren’t shut to contain the power boiling in her. Or force her to join her. Gaia still had yet to decide.

She Gaia felt all that power slow to a trickle, felt it solidify hot and moltan in her veins as she stood. Artemis was gazing at her with horror in her eyes, across her face, from where she knelt beside the man that had started it all.

Gaia walked closer, and Artemis’ blades appeared in her hands, but Gaia didn’t pay them any mind. For all intents and purposes, she was a goddess now, and goddesses could not fall to mortal blades.

Instead, Gaia crouched beside Orion’s body with her, and cocked her head, wondering if she could restore his life. It was a question worth asking, bu not one worth answering using these unfaithful children.

Instead, she turned, and cupped Artemis’ face in her hands, “I want you beside me, child. I want us to rule as goddesses of this world together. You’re the only one of my blood worth ruling beside me, and the only one who has ever been. I know it in my heart, little one, please.”

Artemis scoffed, trembling and crying still from the pain of the severing that Gaia still remembered too sharply some days. Gaia smiled softly, but she had survived. Gaia had been right, her precious, powerful child, one of very few who could survive the death of their soul. She had known. She had been right.

Artemis looked at her, and Gaia smiled wider, “Please, join me.”

Artemis was silent, eyes sharp for long moments, before she snarled, and too quickly for Gaia to react, her uninjured arm flashed out, and cut off Gaia’s head.

For a long moment, the golden glow of the head and body of her grandmother remained still, then an explosion of light and power so powerful it rocked the earth and sent Artemis flying back.

And nothing.

 

Persephone felt like she might be sick. Things had gone to plan, right up until Artemis and her forces had fled. Persephone had run for Nahia, into the gift blockers range and towards the plateau, when a flash of light  and power that had swept through the world and left everything feeling hard and breathless, had made her pause and glance back at the base of the structure.

Persephone had tried not to panic. Artemis and Hermes and the others were clever and powerful and smart. If there had been a way to survive, they would have, so Persephone had met Nahia at the base of the plateau, and they’d jumped into their truck, gunning it for the place the light had been.

It was bad. Everyone was dead, all but Artemis, kneeled over Orion’s body, sobbing, with Gaia’s head and detached body lying beside her.

Nahia choked, breath catching at the sight of the blood, the fire, and her friends dead. Persephone squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and helped Artemis to her feet. Tucking Nahia against her side, Persephone took a deep breath, and steered the pair towards the truck. There was nothing to do here but try to find Hermes, and leave. They could figure out the rest later.

 

2 week later

 

Artemis cast a glance at the house behind her that held her cousins and their soulmates from where she sat on the front porch swing, and sighed. The world was a mess, and the lines of fate that had led to it were so tangled and knotted she couldn’t tell if her own actions had helped along or slowed this inevitable peek.

Orion was gone. Apollo, Leto, Hestia, all of them, gone. If Persephone wasn’t so insistent she stay, Artemis would be alone now. She’d have turned and run into the deserts and let herself die there. She was empty inside. Hollow. Her mother, her brother, her soulmate, all dead, all more or less because of her.

Still, for now at least, Artemis had the clarity to realize that to do that would be to spit in the face of them, their deaths, and the sacrifices they’d made. It was all that kept her alive. It barely felt like it was enough. But Artemis had to protect those she had left. There wasn’t a lot, but those two things were enough. Artemis would not die. She had been broken, and she might never be rebuilt, but she was alive. And she would fight when it was demanded of her. It was all she had.

So, ignoring the flash of blonde curls she always saw, ignoring the echoes of her grandmothers laughter she always heard, Artemis closed her eyes, and pushed herself back and forth of the porch swing, and focused.

In her mind's eye, Artemis fell away from the porch, into the same ill-defined, strange space that had held Orion’s consciousness when he had settled in her head, the place that lead to deserts and grasslands and factories full of blades. 

Harsh winds blew, so strong they nearly sent Artemis toppling to the ground. She turned, caramel eyes searching, but there was nothing this time, just as there had been nothing the last several times she’d been here.

But still, she stepped against the wind, and started forward through the sands, towards the highest peak. Maybe this time, she would find him. Maybe.   
She had a life-time to search, in any case.

Artemis took a breath, and called into the winds, voice pitched to cary, “Orion! ORION! Orion, please, answer me!”

There was no answer, just as there had been no answer before. Still, she kept on. She spent her waking time searching for a way to fix a shattered world, and in this empty, shattered world, she looked for a dead man. There was something funny about that she was sure, but Artemis couldn’t put her finger on it for the life of her as she scaled a sandy dune.


	47. Epolouge-For ending 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AND THATS A WRAP FOLKS

Artemis was running through grass lands, the dry stalks whipping against her bare legs as she threw herself forward. A glance over her shoulder told her that her pursuer was nowhere in sight, and Artemis gave a huff of laughter, letting herself slow to a stop and drop to her knees, kneeling as she threw her head back to stare at the star-littered sky and pant for breath.

The wind was a slow, gentle caress as she caught her breath, pulling at her hair, and she scrunched up her face at the sensation. She’d cut her hair a few weeks after the battle with the Divine, once their wounds were collectively healed enough that they could strip Hermes’ safe house of its resources and sell it.

Shortly before they’d skipped town, Artemis had woken one day, looked in the mirror, and almost lost her mind. On the surface, she looked so much the same as she had before all this. If compared to a picture of herself three years prior the only notable change would have been the new injuries and stress lines across her face.

So Artemis had gone into their bathroom, perched on the edge of the sink, and used the electric razor in the cabinet to shave off her hair. Everyone had been a little shocked, but Orion’s soft smile and easy acceptance had eased their worried of a mental break enough to not mind too much.

Now, almost two years later it was almost to her shoulder-blades, and the lack of weight was still a bit odd to her.

They’d spent weeks in Persephone and Nahia’s truck, wandering, listening to Persephone get her frustration out of her system. Artemis couldn’t deny that Persephone was justified in her anger. Looking back, it had been stupid. Such a stupid plan. Gaia had to have known she was coming, she had to have known that Ares and Aphrodite had killed Apollo. Maybe Gaia hadn’t been anticipating the plan that they’d settled on, but Gaia wasn’t stupid, she’d known they would come that night.

But Artemis had been so blinded by the fresh loss, the grief and pain and the numb lack of feeling that had covered it all, that she hadn’t considered anything but killing Gaia.

Artemis sucked in a deep breath, drawn back from her musings of the past as she felt Orion coming closer.

Over the past few years, they’d worked together to help him adjust to his lack of sight. It was a difficult road, but she imagined they had it easier than many others. Orion was truly something else. His own minor gift, combined with practice of using her eyes and ears as his own, and his intelligence gave him a better idea of his surroundings than most people with functional eyes. The real difficulty had come in him finding the balance between tapping into her mind and remaining in control of his body, something they still struggled with.

It was odd, always feeling his thoughts and feelings in her mind, stronger than any bond, but she couldn’t say it wasn’t a comfort.

This was practice. A game, meant to test his speed and ease of movement without him at her side. Here, out in the middle of nowhere, with the nearest house being a good 3 miles away and belonging to Persephone and Nahia, they were safe, together, but far enough away to have privacy. Hermes was a few miles further, closer to town, living in the compound he and Diomedes had built together, having taken most of Orion’s employee’s and melding their organisation.

It was nice, to be able to have some peace.

Artemis jolted when Orion’s hand ghosted along her nape, and her hand shot out to take his.

He smiled down at her as he dropped beside her, kissing her shoulder.

She smiled, and a rush of affection hit her so hard it almost left her breathless, though it was impossible to tell if it was hers or his. They felt things together, these days, so in sync with each other the difference between one another's thoughts and emotions was rarely noticeable, nor did it matter, not really.

Artemis turned into him, burying her face in his neck as his hand came up to pet her hair.

They were silent, sitting there for long moments, before Artemis shifted to press her mouth against Orion's throat and breath out in a slow, hot breath that she could feel the damp echo of on her own flesh, “What are we going to do?”

Orion sighed against her scalp, and shifted closer, holding her so tight if might have hurt. If either of them were any less broken they might care.

“I don't know. Do you think we could fight? Do you think they will make that necessary?”

Artemis wanted to cry and to not and to burrow into Orion and hide like a child. She did not of these things and spread her fingers wide across his back as she replied, “Gaia was all that kept most of the divine together. They might be rebuilding, but i can't see them getting far enough that they would hunt us.”

Orion laughed, “You know that wasn't what i was asking.”

Artemis sighed again and shuddered as she turned her thoughts over in her mind, leaning into Orion's consciousness to show him what she thought

She was tired, so very tired. She had lost so much, and she didn't want to fight anymore. She would, if she had to, but she wanted to be there for the birth of Persephone and Nahia's first child, due in 5 months, wanted to churn the earth and keep livestock and live. She wanted to be content, and she couldn't do that if she went to war again.

She wanted to hold Orion close and sleep. She wanted to rest.

Orion hummed in their minds, accepting and approving of what she had showed him, and offered his own thought.

It was an image, a bit blurry and uncertain in his own wanting of it. A question. A picture of a girl with golden eyes and black curls and his pale skin, of a boy with dark hair and skin and blue eyes. A child.

Artemis laughed and shook her head against him, abd Orion felt a bit relieved. They stay still and silent then. They stay still, and they rested. They had earned that much.


End file.
